Never heard Vandersteen. These are reputed to be warm and forgiving speakers, which are the opposite of what I like. If you like Vandersteen you probably won't like Piegas. |
Update... I heard both the Wilson Sophia and Audio Physic Avanti. I didn't feel either outperformed the Parsifal. The Wilson's were more forward, and detailed, and I liked that, but they were also very artificial, they had a very unnaturally truncated decay... every sound felt like it was being produced in a vacuum. The Audio Physics were much more natural, but the bass was too heavy for my taste, and the high-end was lacking air and transparency. That, and the Audio Physics didn't really sound that much more forward, though I wonder if how they presented the soundstage was mostly due to the electronics. Associated electronics were all top of the line Audio Research gear... which was nice, but I wasn't left really wanting to make a change. I've got more auditions setup... ATC, Usher, hopefully Piega, and if I can make it up to NJ, Duke's Jazz Modules. |
Lots of suggestions. Thanks everyone. Couple specific response:
Wilson: out of my price range. I need to be able to swap the Verity for the new speaker without losing money.
Merlins: heard them, not sure they'd work in my room, which is sort of large (open loft style apartment). Also, the bass on Merlins was just too nonexistent for me. I don't like boomy bass, but there needs to be something there. The Parsifals are perfect in this regard.
ATCs: the active or passive versions?
Virtual Dynamics: I've done a bunch of cable swapping. It's helped tweak the margins, but overall the sound doesn't change much. I can't imagine that I 'll be able to move the soundstage forward that much w/ a change in speaker/power cables. Am I wrong?
Horns: others on AA have suggested some JBL and other horns. Not sure I'll maintain good tone w/ horns. I love the tone of the Parsifals. Just wish it wasn't so far away!
What do folks think of:
- Usher
- Piega
- Audio Physic
as possible speakers to hear that might fit the bill? |
I'm going to audition some Audio Physics in the next couple weeks, spoke to a local dealer here. Will also try and find a place to audition the JM Labs and ATCs.
I don't think going to an Arcam is the best idea, considering I've got an Emm Labs setup, which I think is already pretty forward sounding (or neutral as some would say!). |
great suggestion newbee, i agree, duke is da' bomb. i'll look him up... |
thanks duke. appreciate the thoughts. you're right, how the music is miked makes a huge impact. it's just that the parsifals present everything with a recessed midrange.
i know folks recommended the wilsons. i hate how they look, and they're wicked pricey for an ugly box. not sure i could get over that.
i've tried tilting the parsifals up, and out some, and altho that helped some presenting the midrange in a more upfront manner, the soundstage collapsed.
i had a pair of martin logan aerius i a long time ago, and altho they had many flaws, the one thing they had that i loved was a nice forward presence region. i loved it and lived w/ those speakers for 5 years before trying something else, and have yet to find an upgrade that i've been able to live with since then. i dont want to go back, my room isn't right for them anymore, and i'm sure i couldn't live w/ their relatively mediocre integration of electrostat panel + dynamic driver, but it's strange that i've spent so much more and found myself not satisfied.
the flavor of a speaker is so key, and there really are distinct flavors out there. not right, not wrong, but the preferences can make or break a system. |
It was the Be-718 monitor and Be-10 floorstander, both in the Dancer series. The Be-10 is one down from their flagship model, and is a bit more than the Piega retail. If you thought the Usher was great, you have to hear the Piega. |
i've got a lot of suggestions on both audiogon and audioasylum. before jumping onto a new speaker purchase, i've decided to do a bunch of auditioning of speakers that might be more my liking and are also within relatively close geographic proximity to me.
i've also turned the bass cabinets around, so the woofers fire forward, and removed the washers that were tilting the back of the speaker forward. this has helped some. actually, it's help quite a bit, but before i go off and say "this is great!" i want to listen. my experience is that long term listening exposes the speaker.
i've also been listening to a lot of different cds, and the recordings really vary alot in how they present the soundstage. yes, my eva cassidy cd is actually perfect. this is exactly the presentation i love. i feel like she's right there, and she even has a little bite in her voice when she pushes it. exhilarating! i also have a stevie wonder (fulfillingness) album that sounds awesome.
so, the repositioning will hold me over. and the auditions i think are a constructive way forward without getting myself into more trouble. system synergy is such a huge deal. a new speaker could really cause all kinds of mayhem. |
I actually liked the bass on the Sophias, it wasn't exaggerated, unlike the Audio Physics which felt too large for the room. I also liked the presentation of the Sophias. But there was definitely something unreal about the decay. The Parsifals don't exaggerate the bass, have nice detail, but also have a much more natural decay. I told the dealer what I thought about the Sophias, and he told me that Wilson actually intentionally de-emphasizes the decay in their crossover. I'm hoping the ATC have a lighter, tighter bass like the Parsifal, but push the soundstage forward without making it sound artificial.
There was something not quite right about the Sophias, this was what I heard, maybe I'm not communicating it correctly. |
What I heard was in the midrange area, and actually, throughout the spectrum. Each note, each instrument and voice, felt dis-integrated from the whole. I could easily analyze every individual note, but never felt like they all came together cohesively in a musical way. It just didn't sound real. I don't know if it was the box, the crossover, the drivers... I just know what I heard. I also have a feeling the electronics played an important part, and from what I heard, I'm not sure Audio Research is for me. Neither the Audio Physics nor the Wilsons felt musical to me, though the Audio Physics were better than the Wilsons.
All that said, I auditioned Usher and Piega speakers today, and both of them were much better than either the Wilsons or Audio Physics. Same amount of detail, more air w/ the Piegas, musical, and more exciting and intimate as well. And although I liked the Ushers, I didn't like them enough to buy them.
The Piega's however rrrreally kicked serious arse (CL 70x). I fell in love with them and am so excited to have found a speaker that has that same transparency and cohesive sound as the Parsifals, but with a more forward, intimate and exciting presentation. Really awesome speakers, I can't wait to get them in my house. |
hey Mrjstark... I auditioned both the monitor (218 be?) and the AC 10 Be. Upstream components were a Plinius preamp, a Cary 303 CD player using the solid state output at it's highest sampling rate, and a Cary CAD 120 amp in ultralinear mode. The monitor had big sound for a monitor, and altho the bass was prodigious, it felt forced and a bit boomy. The AC 10 be was actually less bass heavy, better integrated overall, and smoother up top, but still very revealing and detailed. It lost out to the Piega in imaging and overall musicality. The Piega was more musical, more cohesive, airier, and more detailed. All that and it's a much smaller speaker. The Usher was very nice, but it sounded a bit like a box, and somewhat congested. The Piega was really box free and even off axis sounded great. This was the TC 70x, not the CL series. Amazing for a retail price of $12K. Piegas I think are under-appreciated for what they do. I was floored. |
hey Dlee... haven't heard the Coincidents. I heard the Totem Model 1, which sounded great, tho not really appropriate for a medium large room. Didn't like the Focal speakers I heard, but haven't heard JM Lab, maybe they're more refined. I heard the Piegas at the Gifted Listener in Virginia... |
