Verity Audio Amadis Owners, Listener Impressions?


I was wondering if anyone who owns these speakers or who has spent some time with them could chime in about them. I'm waiting to hear a pair and it will probably be another couple of weeks at least before they will be available. The demo pair I will get to hear is currently being built by Verity, hence the delay. In the meantime, I was curious to get feedback from any owners out there or folks who have spent some time with them. I've done a good bit of searching on various forums and come across a couple of folks who have heard them but not a single owner. This is still a relatively new model from a pretty small manufacturer and at a significant price point, so I guess that's not surprising.

My local dealer has the Finn, Rienzi and the Leonore at a on display and I thought they had some very impressive qualities about them. In a second demo I had with the Leonore, I began to understand the view that I had seen various folks comment about Verity in general which is that while they may not necessarily grab you right away, spending time with them substantially increases appreciation for them. That was my experience and II am very much looking forward to hearing what the Amadis brings to the table in the way of additional bass output and overall sound refinement. I had been interested in hearing the Parsifal Ovation as a next step up from the Leonore, but there are no demos available from the distributor or from Verity directly because of the age of that model. So, the Amadis was suggested as an alternate. In speaking with Julien Pelchat, he had high praise for the Amadis (as you would expect) and takes the position that the ring radiator tweeter it employs is very close to the ribbon used on the Sarastro II. I haven't heard the latter, but it seems that there is quite a bit of good sentiment out there for the Sarastros so if the Amadis is close, I should be in for a real treat. I'm certainly interested to hear how the Amadis improves upon what I've already heard from the Leonore.

Since I know folks will ask if I have looked into or suggest alternatives, note that I am indeed looking at a variety of choices (as we all should be when considering new speakers, especially at this price point where so many good choices exist). My interest in this thread was to get some feedback on this specific model while I wait. Patience has never been my strong suit, but this seems like a good way t pass the time. Thanks in advance for any thoughts or feedback.

Jeff
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One other note. I was hoping to hear something with ceramic drivers at some point as well since I've always been curious. However, attempts to locate a local dealer selling lines like Marten Design, Avalon Acoustics, Tidal, Evolution Acoustics, etc. all came up empty. I guess this whole market has no love for ceramic! :)

Jeff
I guess this whole market has no love for ceramic!
IMHO, that is not the case. Even though Atlanta is a major city, it seems to have less going on than NYC, CA, or even Denver. I certainly hope that changes, while the places mentioned get stronger still.
Hi, Jeff, glad Playhouse Audio still carries Devore. I talked to the owner and he seemed like a good guy. He also runs a great concert venue in Atlanta although I forget the name.
I have made contact with Steve and he's going to arrange for a demo of both the Silverbacks as well as the NOLA Baby Grands. The latter is out of the range of my budget, but the Metro was mentioned as an obvious alternate that supposedly has similar a similar sound. I figure if I don't like what I hear from the Baby Grands, then the Metros wouldn't be worth pursuing anyway.

I'm excited about getting to hear 2 possibilities that I have certainly seen mentioned on the forums but never heard for myself. Who knows, maybe one of them will become my new favorite. :) The Amadis delay has opened the door and since I had been curious about these others, there's no reason not to check them, out.

Jeff
I heard the Amadis last year at the Montreal show and they made a great impression on me. They were playing a tape version of a live Shakti concert from Montreux on the Amadis in the Verity room. Stunning clarity, invisible and excellent percussion reproduction. It was a larger room than I will likely ever have but I understand from talking to Verity that they can be placed in smaller rooms and closer to the back wall quite effectively.
The Verity's were being driven by Nagra gear from what I recall - often the case in Montreal. I have them at the top of my list if I ever find a gently used pair at an affordable price.

BTW the Finns were also at the Montreal show. I think they were paired with Ayre gear and they sounded amazingin a very small room. They had "tuned" the port a bit with foam or something.

Let us know what you think when you hear the Amadis and Devore's.

Chris