Kharma Ceramique 1.1 or Verity Parsifal Encore?


Existing gear: Audio Aero Capitole MKII
KR8000 monoamps
Audio Note ANVx IC
Cardas Golden 5C speaker cables

I need a quality speaker to complete my system and have shortlisted Kharma Ceramique 1.1 and Verity Parsifal Encore. Pricewise, they are competitors. If I go for the Kharma, I'll wire the entire system with Kharma Grand Ref. cables.
I like a smooth, lush and seductive sound. The KRs are a bit aggressive. Due to geographical limitations, trying the speakers before purchase is not feasible. Room size: 15X26 ft. Music: classicals (mostly piano), jazz but also pop. Fellow audiogoners, your advice would be much appreciated. Thnks
lall

Showing 1 response by gregm

This is a tough one! I have heard Parsifal, Ceramique, KR8000 -- but NOT together! The little I can contribute (pls excuse the haphazard vocabulary...)
*Parsifals with Lamm electronics (tube): The sound was "elegant", the piano particularly natural, spaceous & palpable (Brahms 1st concerto/ Curzon, as I remember). If the music were converted to clours, these would be soothing and dramatic at points. Microdynamics exceeded macrodynamics -- the latter impressed me anyway (this, from Mahler 5/Barbirolli). String instruments were beautiful.
*Ceramiques (don't remember if it was the big woofer version or not) with the s-tweeter: very liquid sound, completely seamless, the "colours" as above, would be much brighter here (I don't mean fatiguing in any way) and, thereby, more evidently contrasted. The sense of space was exquisite (the s-tweeter?). The sound, subjectively, may not have been as "delicate" as with the Parsifals... so, rock/blues MAY sound slightly better with the Ceramique, but I'm really splitting hairs here.
(I have completely revised my initial views on the Ceramique; I had thought the sound unimpressive, I was wrong.)

Overall, maybe a difference is that the music will present itself in a more dynamic manner with the Ceramique than the Parsifal. This said both are very capable of playing Wagner for you, so it's a matter of which does what EVEN better.

My 0,2 euro (hopefully not a total waste of server space!) Good luck!