I've been in love with my Parsifal Encores for a year and a half now.
Earlier comments re "slow" or "insufficient" bass are puzzling. Then I remember the chat I had with the designer Julien Pelchat:
The Encore uses an INCREDIBLY fast 8" custom Dynaudio driver that, at 4 ohms, gobbles current in a hurry. I tried to power these with 80w/ch/4 (Audio Refinement Complete), and just didn't get enough bottom punch.
I then broke the bank with Aleph 2 monos (through an Aleph P), and the heavens opened up! The Aleph 2s are good for about 160-200w/ch/4, and that, IN COMBINATION WITH FRONT-FIRING WOOFER configuration, floats my boat every day!
Extension is flat in-room to 30Hz easily, and, as Julien said, the quickness of this woofer is extraordinary! (Veruty's problem with the original Parsifal was that the 8ohm woofer was slower than the ultraquick 5" mid, so that overhang and muddiness became issues. Perhaps some folks misinterpret fast, clean, bass with LACK of output?)
Do note that if your room requires pulling the Parsifals out from the front wall more than a few feet you WILL need to spin around the bass modules to try front-firing. Verity suggested that they see this need 20% of the time. Methinks the % might be higher, especially for those who like/need to set up nearfield triangles in larger rooms. The resultant stage depth is very rewarding, AND as the three drivers cohere SO easily, you don';t feel the need to "sit back" as with many high end three-ways (Nautilus, Aeriel, etc.).
Just my eleven cents.
