Verity Audio Sarastro - Anybody heard

I also bought the Sarastro!

One of the finest speakers I have heard at any price point. My previous speaker was the Kharma 3.2.

I definetely encourage someone to have a listen if he wants to move at that price point.

I am maybe a little bit late here but something very important to point out with Sarastro is to use them with bi-wired (2 speaker cable runs are even much better).

If they are connected this way, you will have the most natural, musical and coherent speakers with correct timing, an outstanding resolution, great soundstage with depth, width, great focus and solidity, bandwidth, low level detail, dynamics, transients, accurate tone & timbre, etc.

I fully agree that they are not as coherent, with differences in timing and between the 2 modules and sometimes tending to be hyper-detaile,. when connected mono-wired and with their own jumpers,

I have not a technical explanation, since am just an audiophile but this is what I have experienced. I was tired of moving them around my room, trying to find a good spot/placement (tilt, toe-in, distance between tweeters, to walls, etc) with a better integration of tweter and between the 2 modules and was just about to sell them until I bi-wired them with Dream Stealth Speaker Cables instead of mono-wired with same cables. A connoisseur friend, distributor of Audio Research, Kimber and ProAc in Mexico gave me the hint. He mentioned that this sometimes happens with many speakers that were truly designed for bi-wire as ProAc.

Hope this helps with current owner's of Sarastro.

I also agree with comments about Saratro I is better than Sarastro II. I had the chance to audition them side by side and believe that the tweeter on Sarastro I is more natural and extended with less glare. I also believe that the crossover (different form I to II) makes a better job when bi-wired.

Rata3 spot on, I also agree that the Sarastro biwired sounds much better, as you say more coherent with better transparency and musicality. ;)

"I also agree with comments about Saratro I is better than Sarastro II. I had the chance to audition them side by side and believe that the tweeter on Sarastro I is more natural and extended with less glare. I also believe that the crossover (different form I to II) makes a better job when bi-wired."

Thanks Rata3 I though I was the only crazy thinking of that! ;)
Check out this thread: http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?cspkr&1265099107&openflup&8&4

Sarastro is maybe the most amazing speaker I have ever heard!

Rata3 how long do you have yours for? What are you using for front end and amps?

Happy Listening,

Michael

I have upgraded through the Verity line and with each new speaker the sound has been better. The Sarastros has a wider range than the Parsifals. The instruments have more 3D space around them and more depth. The sound stage is higher and wider. The Sarastros bass is deeper 11" than the Parsifals 8" when firing to the rear but the Parsifals bass is faster especially when the woofer is firing forward.

When I listened to these at the dealer I felt there was something missing and could not put my finger on it. Then when I got them home and set them up similar to the store I found they were not sounding as I wanted them to here either. So after a few hours of setup I had them where I thought they sound good but there was still something missing. I called the store and found out they had got them not to long ago and they did not have more than 100 or so hours. I set them to face each other and let them run for 48 hours. Putting them back in place they were sounding better. I returned them and ordered my pair as I felt confident I was going to like them with what I was hearing. I let mine warm up for a few days and still felt something was missing. After a few weeks with them and a few 100 hours they started to relax and become one speaker with few issues between the drivers. I have moved them around some but have not found their final location yet. Sarastros are harder to place than Parsifals but are sounding much better.
As they break-in more the better they are sounding. I will be getting help shortly with their final location from my dealer after I feel they have settled in.

Verity speakers need time to break-in and a while to place. If you listen at a show take the fact that they are not broken in into account. I think all speaker need break-in time to sound their best. Really all equipment does.

The only music I am not happy with is the new Classic Records 45 of Peter Gabriel’s So, so far. The highs bother my ears so bad I cringe. The regular LP version is better and at low volumes the 45 version it is fine but I do not listen at low volumes. Reminds me of 80's music, very hot in the upper range.

IMHO.

Hevac1 do you biwire your Sarastros?

I believe than even if the biwiring conditions are not the best (different cables. lengths etc) it is still as a lot better than using them with a single wire and the included jumpers!

IMHO this speaker is transformed from a good speaker to a World Class when biwiring it!

Happy Listening,

Mike