what's under your Parsifals?

Jimmy Hoffa!

Hi guys, I found a great way to make sure that the Parsifals are both at the same tilt angle. I suppose this will work with any speaker that has a flat top. Use a laser level (available at any hardware store) and place it at the top of the speaker. Then shine the laser at the center of the opposite wall. Measure the point where the laser lands. Make sure that the laser lands at the same point for both speakers. Bingo: now they are at the same tilt angle.

I calculated the angle I achieved this way and it is only about 1 degree down. But that seems to make an appreciable difference in the sound. I also think that leveling both speakers at exactly the same angle has improved the imaging quite a bit.

Randy

All of you guys need to try the sistrum stands, they make your speaker sound like a major update. Every thing improves from dynamic and imaging and bass and treble responses. Even the audiopoint is better than the stillpoint , since stillpoints copied the design from Starsound.

I've got each of my Parisfals on a 3/4 inch slab of high-density fiberboard (carpet underneath over a suspended floor). The angle is such that the front of each woofer box is still angled slightly back, but not as much as before. I haven't actually measured the angle, just verified with a level that they are roughly at the same angle.

Randy

Randy,

What kind of angle were you able to create? I was only able to get 0.7mm higher in the back than the front - or about 1.5 degrees (if my trig is right) across the speaker. I think twice that might be really interesting to try.

What I found by doing this was an increase in the height of the sound stage by about 1.5-2ft. I also raised the speakers on a 2" stand made of solid, heavy and high density wood. This isolates them a little more from the suspended wood floor.

Cheers

JB, I tried recently tilting the Verities forward using the spikes and experienced an increase in richness and bass warmth. Definitely worth trying for all Verity owners. I imagine the effect depends a great deal on your listening height.

Randy

I'm going to be using a set of (very) hardwood blocks (1.75" thick) under the speaker to see if the bass can be tightened up as it's on a suspended floor. The spikes go directly on this. I also found that Verity will sell the new aluminum plinth used in the Ovations to Parsifal owners, and they're a touch less expensive than the Svelte, I believe ( & better looking IMO).

Boneman: can you post a picture of your speakers on their Apex feet? What kind of floor are they on? It would seem the Apex feet would do their best on a slab floor. Just curious.

Still tweaking the set up of my Ovations, so I have the spikes that came with them. When, and if, I get around to tweaking the spikes I will let you know.

But, I have this tip: John Q came by to help me set them up and at one pont he screwed out the spikes on the back side so the speakers which tilt them about 5 degrees forward. It had the amazing effect of lifting the soundstage up by about 4 feet....

Try it and poat your results.

ok, sounds like maybe what i'll start with then is the HDL, audiopoints and the svelte shelves. thanks john.

Hi Steve,
Yes, I am still using the Reference HDL's, they are attached only to the mid/tweeter module, as recommended by Lloyd Walker. They do a nice job of cleaning up the high frequencies (I didn't know there was any hash there until I installed them). As for the Svelte shelf, I wouldn't say that it made a bigger improvement than the Audio Points, but it was more expensive. It is still much cheaper than the Symposium Ultra platform that is custom made for the base though. I believe the Parsifal Svelte shelf was about $500.
Peter of Symposium recommends the Svelte shelf first, as he feels it makes a bigger improvement for less $$$ than the Ultra platforms, FWIW.

John

Two platforms made of high-density fiberboard, then the spikes that came with the Ovations. I'm still dialing them in after one year. Lately, I've been trying the second of two configurations recommended by Julian, with the speakers farther apart. Bass is definitely improved with the speakers closer to the room corners.

oh, and john... yes, these speakers are pretty amazing. i'm thrilled to have them.

I am using Grand Prix Audio Apex Footers with my Ovations and they have made a significant positive impact over the stock spikes. The bass is where the most improvement has occurred (becoming much tighter and clearer).

thanks guys. john, have you used the HDLs? sounds like the platforms i should be saving for an updgrade is the replacement for the granite, not necessarily for the base of the speaker?

Steve,

I changed the stock spikes out for a set of Audio Point AP-A's, they made a nice improvement.
I also found that the Symposium Svelte shelf between the woofer and mid/tweeter module, in place of the granite slab, made a nice improvement.
I've been told that the Sistrum Platforms are even better than the Audio Points, but I'm afraid of scratching the beautiful finish on the Parsifal's.

BTW, welcome to the club! Great speakers aren't they? One other tweak that may interest you is a set of Walker Audio Reference HDL's.

Enjoy the tunes,

John

Just spikes and carpet. Works well.

pretty women.