Parasound amps appreciation thread

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by pdxway, May 31, 2019.

  1. Benzion

    Benzion "Cogito, ergo sum" Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    Own and run the NewClassic 2250 V.2 power amp. Quite happy with it, got more power than I could ever need in my room, drives my Wharfedale's with authority and gusto.
     
  2. pdxway

    pdxway Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Oregon, USA
    Good to know! JC5 may be my next amp upgrade once my kids are done with colleges. :D
     
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  3. PhilCo

    PhilCo Forum Resident

    Location:
    san jose
    I hope your kids get through college faster than I did :agree:
     
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  4. PhilCo

    PhilCo Forum Resident

    Location:
    san jose
    BTW, I think the A21 is one of the unsung heroes in the Parasound line, it is a really nice system as is the Hint 6 which is scary good for its price.
     
  5. head_unit

    head_unit Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles CA USA
    It is rated into 4 ohms stereo, and "bridged" which we can thus presume is 8 ohms. Stereophile said it should not be too difficult a load. So I'd say it's fine, keeping in mind "Head_Unit’s Rules Of Protection":
    1) If when things start to sound distorted or odd you TURN IT DOWN, you are unlikely to ever break anything.
    2) If you constantly "turn it up to 11" you will break something.
    NOTE: the size and power ratings of the speakers and amp do not affect rules 1 and 2. (In any case, specs for amps are often not thorough, and speaker specifications are pretty meaningless (and I say that as a loudspeaker engineer)).
    Also, if the amp is just getting kinda hot, you can get a fan like the AC Infinity my friend loves. If the amp is going into protection, ya gotta back off boogaloo.
    Just to be safe, you should send ME that amp, and get a beefier one...
     
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  6. Tim S

    Tim S Senior Member

    Location:
    East Tennessee
    Has anyone heard the NewClassic 200? It's not actually for sale yet, but I thought maybe someone had heard one. Retail is 1195.00, so it's the only parasound I'll ever be able to afford - but it's one I can reasonably shoot for.

    [​IMG]
     
  7. Boltman92124

    Boltman92124 Go Padres!!

    Location:
    San Diego
    The New Classic 275v2 is only $600. Same chassis. Leaves another $600 left for a pre-amp.
     
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  8. Boltman92124

    Boltman92124 Go Padres!!

    Location:
    San Diego
    Interesting. The 275v2 IS rated to bridge 200WPC into a 4 ohm load. You adjust the impedance switch to the 2-3 ohm setting. You can also run two pairs of 4 ohm speakers the same way on a single amp.
     
    head_unit likes this.
  9. cdgenarian

    cdgenarian Forum Resident

    Location:
    North Carolina
    Audio Advisor offers it @ $900. LINK
     
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  10. Tim S

    Tim S Senior Member

    Location:
    East Tennessee
    That's the preamp/dac - I know it's confusing.

    The one I linked is integrated amp with built in Dac - It's not for sale yet, I don't think.
     
    cdgenarian likes this.
  11. cdgenarian

    cdgenarian Forum Resident

    Location:
    North Carolina
    Oops! :D Oh, well, like you I can now look forward to the release of the new integrated amp, now that I know about it. :)

    [EDIT] Found some additional information about this - a class D amp. Interesting.
     
    Last edited: Jun 1, 2019
  12. Litejazz53

    Litejazz53 Perfect Sound Through Crystal Clear Digital

    You know, if I could do all this over again, I think I would do things differently and save a lot of money. I had a friend buy a Parasound Pre-amp and amp combo about 20 years ago, and it's still working perfectly to this day, in this Classic Series. So, with that said, I believe this combination would be GREAT for most people and certainly for people that want it all without paying thousands for it! This set is sold at $1,800.00 LIST price and has tons of power, pre-amp and a great DAC, headphone out, phono stage, what more could we need, really! Here you go! :edthumbs:

    This little combo is capable of 275 Watts per channel at 8 Ohms, or 400 Watts at 4 Ohms or a mere 750 Watts Bridged, that should do it for most homes I would think.

    [​IMG] [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jun 1, 2019
  13. head_unit

    head_unit Senior Member

    Location:
    Los Angeles CA USA
    That probably reduces the output rail voltage, to reduce maximum power dissipation. A simple way to make things more flexible. Does it go to "11"?
     
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  14. Bananas&blow

    Bananas&blow It's just that demon life has got me in its sway

    Location:
    Pacific Beach, CA
    I'm a happy A21 owner. They brought my power hungry speakers to life. interestingly I recently switched from a Rogue RP1 tube preamp to an Audio Research LS17SE preamp. I could not believe the difference in sound volume between the two preamps. The ARC put out a significantly louder signal to the amp. As a result I had to turn the volume gain on the back of the A21 from full volume down to about half. I'm currently listening to my ATC SCM 11 V2's with the gain set at 50% on the amp (85 db speakers). Only issue I've had it my A21 has a buzz if I use the RCA inputs. I use the balanced from the ARC and this is not an issue. But I preferred the sound of the Rogue, despite it's using up NOS tubes in 5 months or so. The sound was terrific from the Rogue. I appreciate the flexibility build into the A21 with the options on the back. In switching preamps, I lost the balance option. My right ear doesn't hear as well as my left, so the ability to adjust the gain on the amp per channel enabled me to still balance the sound. The options they include on their preamps and the HINT are audiophile friendly. A fantastic company and product.

    I also have the JC3 Jr. phono preamp and think it is fantastic and was a significant upgrade. If I ever get my dream B&W 802's, I hope to pair it with a JC5. I am seeing more sets of JC1 amps at more reasonable prices on the used market since the JC5 was released. Could be coincidence.
     
  15. corduroy

    corduroy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pennsauken, NJ
    I'm not an owner but have been pretty impressed by what I've read so far. Their amps look like quality stuff.

    I wish they still made the Halo CD player. I recall they had one a few years back retailing for around $4k but IIRC it wasn't long until it was discontinued. It would be so cool to have a Halo rack full of source, preamp, and power amp.
     
  16. JMCIII

    JMCIII Music lover first, audiophile second.

    Ran an A23 driving Paradigm Studio 100's for quite a while. Then, briefly, it drove a pair of Magnaplaner 1.7i's. Nothing but good to say of both the quality and sonics of Parasound.
     
  17. Xulio

    Xulio Forum Resident

    [​IMG]
    Very happy customer here
     
  18. punkmusick

    punkmusick Amateur drummer

    Location:
    Brazil
    I have a Halo Integrated 2.1 that is the heart of my digital rig. I connect a Sony DVD player as a transport to play CDs and a Chromecast Audio to play Tidal, both through digital connections to use the Halo's DAC, and it sounds very good. My analog rig has a Parasound JC3+ phono stage before the Halo and the combo sounds amazing.
     
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  19. Catcher10

    Catcher10 I like records, and Prog...duh

    I've been a very happy user of the Halo integrated for a few years now, I toy with the idea of adding an A21+ or A21 and use my Halo as a preamp. The clean power is what impresses me most, as well as the scary black background. The Halo only puts out about 5 watts class A, after that A/B.....but I have no complaints at all. I power Rega RX5 speakers and the Halo makes them sing and the low end is more than admirable.
    I am also toying with the idea of adding a sub since the Halo has excellent bass management system for that, never used a sub before. The internal phono stage is very good, although I use a Nova II, the internal phono will get you into vinyl in a very good way though.
    I also appreciate that Richard Schram is readily available too.

    I use Morrow Audio MA6 ICs from the Nova II to Halo and also from my R2R. I use WireWorld Supernova 7 optical cable from my digital player, WireWorld Aurora 7 power cord and Belden 5000 10 gauge speaker cables.
    I'm not sure I'll ever leave Parasound as my amp of choice.
     
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  20. jon9091

    jon9091 Master Of Reality

    Location:
    Midwest
    I love my Parasound HINT. It did take me a while to get used to the volume slope...I wonder if they changed that on the new model.

    [​IMG]
     
  21. james

    james Summon The Queen

    Location:
    Annapolis
    Keep your eye on Craigslist. I got a RB-981 for 100 bucks. Works great.
     
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  22. Litejazz53

    Litejazz53 Perfect Sound Through Crystal Clear Digital

    Let me throw this out there, I have two pair of speakers to play around with that are not real efficient, the Aerial 10T and the Polk LSi707. The amplifier I have been using for several months is the Parasound A-21, which replaced a huge and expensive Jeff Rowland 8Ti-HC amplifier. You will not need ANY amplifier in the Parasound line more powerful than the A-21, it drives both my Aerials and Polks easily to loud volumes, with no problems at all. If you desire an A-21+ or the super JC-5, absolutely go for it, BUT, you will not require any more power than you get with the A-21, it has plenty for any large, inefficient floor standing speaker, now you know! Additionally, the HINT Integrated has plenty of power to drive these speakers! I would say the HINT Integrated is just enough to handle these speakers, however, the A-21 is over the top, no question at all! :righton:
     
    Last edited: Jun 2, 2019
  23. Rick58

    Rick58 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eagle, ID, USA
    Model NewClassic 200 Pre « Parasound "Bass, treble and balance adjustments by remote control" this is a feature I cannot now do without ... fine balance affecting/locking in the soundstage is a must in my experience, and doing it from the listening position is essential.

    I love my P 7 that has this, replaced a McIntosh C220 preamp that was the first component I owned that had it. The P 7 sounds better in many ways ... I decided to sell the C220 before our daughter's wedding 5 years ago ... I can't imagine ever replacing the P 7 ...

    I'm excited to see them including this on other preamps.
     
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  24. BayouTiger

    BayouTiger Forum Resident

    I am wondering what the improvements in the v2 series of the New Classics are. I had the first version and honestly was not really impressed. But I must say the price was right. I could say the same for the A23. I liked the P5 fine, but found the A23 to be lacking compared to my other power amps. I think there is a substantial gap from the New Classics to the A23 and then again to the A21. I have not heard any of the new updates, but considering that Parasound has never seemed to promos change for the sake of change, I would bet they are substantial.
     
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  25. Rick58

    Rick58 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eagle, ID, USA
    I assume you're careful to not drive the HINT too hard, seems like minimal circulation is available ... maybe consider Component Cooling - Component Fan Systems - AC Infinity if you have 1.5" above the integrated? Or maybe there's some fans in the cabinet already ...

    I had an AVR set up like this, I cut out the back of the cabinet to install some cooling fans which turned on with the AVR, seemed to work well, but wish I'd known about the AC Infinity products.

    EDIT: I bought an AIRCOM T8, Receiver and AV Component Cooling Blower System, Rear Exhaust 17" to sit on top of my Marantz AVR ... it's sitting on an open table top now but the open-slot top ventilation always made me nervous! The solid top with rear exhaust cooling fan thing seems like a good addition.
     
    Last edited: Jun 2, 2019
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