Parasound amps appreciation thread

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

  1. louis_anthony

    louis_anthony Vir Fidelis

    Location:
    Staten Island, NY
    That video is hilarious (unintentionally), I kinda felt bad for the host watching him squirm, but he didn’t do any favors for himself by continually referring to the company as Paradigm, lol :sigh:
     
  2. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    I am going to sound like a nut case but I have to say about 600 hours for the a21+ to stop changing and sound consistent.
    This is going off of long sessions nearly every weekday since i took delivery last august.
     
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  3. EHUDson

    EHUDson Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, USA
    Thank you. I’m glad I’m not the only one to notice the changing sound with this amp. This gives me encouragement. To be honest I skimmed this thread from the first page on before I bought the A21+. I remember both you and Blake1 reporting about your A21+ amps last year. Blake1 reported similar brightness at first. But a couple months later Blake1 enjoyed the amp. Are you still using the Rouge audio tube Preamp with the A21+? I remember you stating at one point it sounded a little warm.
     
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  4. Rick58

    Rick58 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eagle, ID, USA
    Wow I wonder about my A 21. It was new IIUC but “open box” thru Safe and Sound. I do wonder what open box really means, as they have this Parasound Halo P7 7.1 Channel Preamplifier Open Box Full Warranty
    which is my preamp. I bought mine as a factory refurb unit through audio advisor. I think I paid $1300 for it. This was several years ago I believe when the P7 was still being sold. But it’s not been sold for some time. Hmmmm.

    Huh, the P7 was sold through 2019, so I guess it hasn’t been discontinued all that long.

    Anyway, I certainly don’t have 300 or 600 hours on my A 21 but I don’t really notice it changing in sound character. Maybe I’m not listening closely enough.
     
    Last edited: Apr 12, 2021
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  5. EHUDson

    EHUDson Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, USA
    Open box gear is difficult to gauge how much it has been played. You can always assume it wasn’t and start listening from there. My open box A23 amps from Audio Advisor I bought years ago didn’t have hardly any change to the sound I can recall either.
     
    Rick58 likes this.
  6. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    i switched to a cary audio preamp and it has a perfect amount of warmth without losing transparency.
     
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  7. EHUDson

    EHUDson Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, USA
    Nice! I bet that sounds Amazing. I would love trying a tube preamp in the near future. The look of the Cary Audio pre-amps are great too.
     
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  8. terzinator

    terzinator boots lost in transit

    For any of you with REL Subs, how are you connecting them to your Parasound amps?

    I'm using the HINT6's subwoofer pre-outs via RCA, but curious about trying it with the high-level speakon connection, as REL seems to recommend. (There are a few ways to connect the ground, so just wondering if any of you have experimented with it.)
     
  9. MattG

    MattG Unreliable Narrator

    Location:
    Maryland
    I’m using the high level connections on my original HINT, then the high pass filter set at 20hz to keep unwanted rumblings from the speakers/sub
     
  10. bever70

    bever70 Let No-one Live Rent Free in Your Head!

    Location:
    Belgium
    High level speakon connector, nothing else.
     
  11. terzinator

    terzinator boots lost in transit

    And then ground wire to negative speaker post? or to chassis ground?

    (When I connect the RELs to my Bel Canto monos, the recommendation from Bel Canto is chassis ground, never negative speaker terminal.)
     
  12. terzinator

    terzinator boots lost in transit

    So, when you say high-level, do you mean high-level with speakon connectors to REL? Or a different RCA connection on the back of the HINT?

    I'm assuming the latter as I don't think the high-pass filter is active unless something's plugged into those RCAs. (I might be confused on terms here!)
     
  13. MattG

    MattG Unreliable Narrator

    Location:
    Maryland
    The high-pass crossover. I think it’s for the speaker terminals, anyway. See pages 15-16:

    https://parasound.com/pdfs/halo-integrated-manual.pdf
     
    Last edited: Apr 14, 2021
  14. aunitedlemon

    aunitedlemon Unity is in the pith.

    Location:
    Oregon
    Anyone have personal experience with the JC5? On my very short list of amps, I had the JC5 as runner-up to audition. Never brought one home because my first choice hasn't disappointed. What preamps are folks enjoying with their JC5?
     
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  15. EHUDson

    EHUDson Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, USA
    I just clocked 485 hrs on my new Parasound A21+. As I reported before, I have heard this amp cycle through bright and harsh tones and rich and full bodied tones. The last bright period lasted about 2 weeks. Now it has moved into a most wonderful period rich, lively, and soul filling sound. It has stayed this way for a week now. I trust my ears and know this isn't some minor change. Looking forward the end of changes. I would hope I'm close now.

    I'm currently using a Benchmark Dac 2 HGC as my preamp. I have been curious how the synergy will be between the Parasound P6 preamp with the A21+. So, I ordered one from Audio Advisor. Anyone familiar with going from a digital preamp to an analogue one? Curious what I may hear.
     
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  16. thebisch

    thebisch Forum Resident

    Location:
    upstate ny
    Any one with feedback about the ZPre3? I am considering getting one, or maybe a used 2100 preamp.
     
  17. bever70

    bever70 Let No-one Live Rent Free in Your Head!

    Location:
    Belgium
    I started out about 2 years ago using a Bel canto dac3 as a preamp in my A23. Then switched to a Schiit Saga and now a P5 preamp + switch to A21 amp. Each step in changing preamps has been a step up. Just switched back today for a few hours to the Schiit Saga (tube) to see how it did with the A21. I was happy to switch back to the P5.

    Curious too : do you keep your A21+ switched on all that time or do you put it into standby in the evening ?
     
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  18. EHUDson

    EHUDson Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chicago, IL, USA
    That’s interesting that you enjoyed the P5 preamp over the Schiit Saga. I would have thought the tubes would be enjoyable with the A21. At the end of the day my amp turns off/“standby” with the light blue halo.

    I received the Parasound P6 two days ago. It is slowly burning in now. No critical listening for two weeks. I find after that things usually start settling in place.
     
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  19. bever70

    bever70 Let No-one Live Rent Free in Your Head!

    Location:
    Belgium
    Ah ok, well I believe most of us put our amps in standby mode, I was just wondering if there would be a difference to leaving them fully powered on and thought that was what you were saying.
    The tube in the Saga doesn't do all that much.
    As a matter of fact, just tried it out yesterday again but no thanks, I'll take the P5. Maybe it's the synergy between 2 parasound products, I don't know. I do use fully balanced cables from dac→p5→a21. The Saga obviously needs to be connected through rca's.
     
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  20. Standingstones

    Standingstones Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Central PA
    I have owned the JC5 for more than a year and it’s the best amplifier I have ever owned. It has more power than you will ever need. The sound quality is second to none. I am a person who likes to use a tube preamp with a solid state amplifier. I am using the McIntosh C2600 preamp. I think there is great symmetry between both preamp and amp.
     
  21. Catcher10

    Catcher10 I like records, and Prog...duh

    Correct....You use the HINT high pass crossover if you wanna adjust the high pass on your main speakers when using sub(s) connected to the Sub Output. I run my mains full range...
     
  22. Audiofan1

    Audiofan1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    States
    Mine since Oct 2020 and smitten by it's performance! My low level late night listening is 6db lower than usual and the sound is involving dynamic and full and the best thing is I still haven't been able to notice the shift from class A output to A/B the sound remains the same regardless of volume. Still enjoying the honeymoon phase getting to know it.
     
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  23. David A Villareale

    David A Villareale Active Member

    Location:
    Rochester Ny
    Hello all, im interested in Hint6 owner and analog inputs especially turntable owners.

    I recently purchased a Denon DP59L and a DL110 cartridge.

    i’ll be eventually purchasing a pair of ET LFT8b’s.

    thanx
     
  24. bever70

    bever70 Let No-one Live Rent Free in Your Head!

    Location:
    Belgium
    The Dl110 needs slightly higher gain from a phono preamp than the Hint6 phono input probably has to sound its best imho.
     
  25. Rick58

    Rick58 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eagle, ID, USA
    I think the DL110 is similar to my DL160 ... HOMC, 1.6mV output, meant for MM input (47kohm) load. I have a P 7 preamp, it works fine. I think I have to goose the volume a bit with phono but not excessively. Have not had any 'issues' with noise or anything else.

    I THINK the P 7 has similar specs to the P 6, which seems to be the basis for the pre in the HINT6.

    HINT6:
    Preamplifier Stage Input Sensitivity
    300 mV in for 1 V at Preamp Output jacks
    Total Preamp Stage Gain: 10 dB

    Phono Stage Sensitivity / Input Impedance
    MM: 41 dB / 47 k Ω
    MC: 54 dB / 47 k Ω or 100 Ω

    I went thru this a few months ago, forget the detailed conclusion, but think I verified the P 7 = P 6 at least as gain was concerned. Seeing the HINT6 has a choice of 47kohm for the higher gain MC setting makes me think (more convinced) it will work fine. I'd try the MM setting/input first and if it's not enough ...

    I'd think you'd want to set the "MC" to 47kohm if using that.
     

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