Integrated SS amps - Luxman vs. Simaudio Moon?

If you take a trip to Montreal, you can hear the Verity ... maybe at the factory. ;-)

I purchased my Playback Designs MPS-5, Blue Circle BC206 & BC208 sight unseen and it worked out. When I purchased the BC206 ($15k US), I knew very little of Blue Circle and Gilbert. I suppose it was a little risky. I did trust the opinions of people I know however.

I think the risk of buying sight unseen is minimal if you do your research. Accuphase, Luxman, Blue Circle and Verity are all can't miss / highly reputabl brands IMO. Personally, I would hold out for a good used pair of Verity's (olderParsifals) and pair it with either the Luxman or Accuphase and buy your CDP new or gently used/demo with a warranty.

You both make valid points, but B&W 803d with Bryston elctronics are also reputable and highly regarded options that I can actually audition.

Is it not better to deal with the devil you know?

I would personally pick Verity over B&W's any day. I am a fan of building systems around speakers, and I think Verity makes very good speakers that respond well to a variety of amplification (tubes, class A, beefy AB, etc) and are life-like natural while still being neutral.

A big factor will be your room, as unless your dealer will allow you to audition at home, you're not going to gain the ultimate insight into a possible system by listening at a dealers. I've purchased from dealers, from friends, and on Audigon. I'm the kind of guy who likes to play around and tweak my system until I feel it's right, or I can settle in and listen (usually how I know I'm onto something). I don't mind buying and reselling if I have to, and I get to sample a lot of equipment that way. If your idea is to get everything and be done, then more research is required, or you have to find a dealer you trust, and let them put together a system you can try at home.

Do you have a particular listening preference? My feeling is that the kind of person who listens to B&W and Bryston wouldn't necessarily be pleased with a verity/luxman system and vice-versa.

I listen to cds - mostly classical solo piano (Beethoven sonatas, Bach etc), chamber music, and small ensemble jazz (Oscar Peterson, Thelonius Monk, Coltrane, Evans etc).

In researching locally available equipment, I realized that perhaps I was not finding the best options for me, and this is why I have been pondering the Verity Rienzi with Luxman 590Aii combo (sight unseen) vs. the 803d/Bryston option which I have been able to audition.

I have heard the Verity Audio Finn with a 20 wpc Luxman pure class A 550A integrated amp, and I liked what I heard. If I bought Verity Audio speakers, I would go up higher on the food chain to the Rienzi (or possibly even the Leonore). The Rienzi probably needs more than 20 wpc, so the 30 wpc 590Aii would be a better match.

Given my musical tastes, I have a feeling that I would prefer the Verity/Luxman combo. I can afford to buy new (which I much prefer to buying used), but I would have to buy the system sight unseen, and I am wondering if this is not too big a risk given the expense?

Regards,

Mark