Parasound Halo A 21(+), Audio Research Ref 75 or Carver Crimson 275

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by 56GoldTop, Jun 6, 2019.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Rachael Bee

    Rachael Bee Miembra muy loca


    Parasound doesn't have silver! It's Chaum-pagne..... gold-ish. I've had both colors. My first P7 was chaum-pagne. Now I have a black one. One of the things I like about my A23+ is it doesn't have a silly red P on the front that lights up like the older models did for years and years. If the A23's aren't tall enough for ya, fix 'em up with high heel sneakers..... ;)
     
  2. Litejazz53

    Litejazz53 Perfect Sound Through Crystal Clear Digital

    I have always been a matching components kind of guy, however AR's Reference 75, is so extremely expensive, puts out a nice amount of heat to warm your room, and offers so little power when compared to the Parasound JC 5, the brand new John Curl creation, which can quietly pump out 400 earth shaking watts and save you so much money over the little AR Ref 75. :righton:
     
    MachineMessiah and GLYNSTYLER like this.
  3. 56GoldTop

    56GoldTop Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Nowhere, Ok
    I don't wanna kill anybody, LJ. :laugh: You do know how loud even just 15 tube wpc can be with decently efficient speakers.... I'd like this to be my "last" power amp. Ultimate listen-ability is king. Can't listen if I'm deaf. :D
     
  4. Litejazz53

    Litejazz53 Perfect Sound Through Crystal Clear Digital

    I have owned the Parasound A-21 for a while now and probably never used more than 20 watts of it's available power, as I have inefficient loudspeakers. The purpose of my post was to highlight that the JC 5 has available power to adequately drive absolutely any speaker load you throw at it, how loud an amplifier can drive a loudspeaker is of no consequence to me at all, I just want to know it has reserve power if at some point in time it is needed to drive a stubborn loudspeaker, that I might decide to purchase at some point in the future, something you will not have the flexibility to do with the Reference 75. If I paid the high tariff one would pay for a Reference 75, I would want it to drive a block of concrete. You will not be restricted to ultra efficient speakers with the JC 5, you will be with the Reference 75. The Reference 75 costs so much more than the JC 5, and the JC 5 is the very best Parasound offers, so you will be getting an exceptional amplifier, both visually, sonically, and from a dependability standpoint. You will not pay additional money to keep your room cooler with the Parasound JC 5, you will not have to worry about a limited speaker selection or purchasing new tubes. IMO, there are just so many advantages to the JC 5 other than any concern about killing anyone with it's power, however, if someone breaks in, you could possibly blow them back out the door with a JBL L-100 connected to the JC 5! :righton:
     
    Last edited: Jun 14, 2019
    bever70, 56GoldTop and pdxway like this.
  5. ls35a

    ls35a Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eagle, Idaho
    For reliability and customer service I would take the Parasound in a heartbeat.
     
    Litejazz53 and pdxway like this.
  6. G B Kuipers

    G B Kuipers Forum Resident

    Location:
    Netherlands
    Lots of good practical arguments, but in the end shouldn't it be all about how it sounds?

    Kind of reminds me of how solid state was introduced at the time as a superior technology with nothing but advantages over tube amps.
     
    Litejazz53 and ellingtonic like this.
  7. Catcher10

    Catcher10 I like records, and Prog...duh

    I'm a Parasound fan for sure, been thinking about the A21+ and use my HINT as a preamp. The HINT preamp section does pretty much anything and with a black background......What I really like about Parasound amps is the peak current amps per channel, it is an excellent spec and feature that really is what drives your speakers to sing. The reason why I still love my NAD C356BEE integrated is the 50 amps peak current it has, the HINT is 45 amps and the A21+ is 60 amps. Couple that with 300wpc 8 ohms and I doubt you would ever need another amp again. The reserves in the tank would be crazy scary.....BTW the JC5 is 90 amps peak per channel, simply cra-cra!
     
    Litejazz53 likes this.
  8. 56GoldTop

    56GoldTop Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Nowhere, Ok
    LOL! Fair points, especially that last one.

    Hopefully, whatever I choose will be "end game" other than general maintenance. I'm looking to terminate my GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome, for those who don't know). Once I do eventually reach "middle age" I only want to concentrate on the acquisition and listening to of additional great music. So, money (it's only money) and heat (the listening room is the warmest room in the winter and coolest room in the summer) be darned (trying to clean up my language). The amp must be extremely sonically pleasing to the point where I could listen all day into the night and still be chomping at the bit for more the next morning. That may be the Parasound, ARC or the Carver. So far, the sonic character of the Carver is the only one I'm unsure about.
     
    Litejazz53 likes this.
  9. CoolJazz

    CoolJazz Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eastern Tennessee
    With regards to Carver....glorious! Just maybe the best sound Mr. Carver has ever produced. So easy to listen to.

    And the tube compliment hits the sweet spot too. You'll never run out of possibilities to try out or nudge voicing to your liking.

    Not to mention the design is one that will always be maintainable. This ain't no throw away class D with unobtainium parts with expiration dates. This is something that can be handed down the family!

    CJ
     
    UncleMeat, Twinsfan007 and djost like this.
  10. Catcher10

    Catcher10 I like records, and Prog...duh

    I have on several occasions had 10 hour listening sessions, grant it all analog/vinyl/R2R....so no fatigue on my end. But I never felt any of that with the Parasound, and these sessions were actual sit and listen to record after record for 10 hours. Start at like 3PM and finish after 1am.
    Those are massively fun to do!
     
    pdxway likes this.
  11. Ontheone

    Ontheone Poorly Understood Member

    Location:
    Indianapolis
    So we are obviously talking only purchasing in the used market and not considering the AR Ref 75 SE correct? Personally I'd rather get a lightly used VAC Phi 170 over the AR (new or used).
     
  12. Grump Music

    Grump Music Member

    Location:
    Vermont
    I would go with the Carver. In over 60 years of listening it is the sweetest and most musical amp I have owned. It may not rock the house like a 700 watt monster but for 99% of my listening it is a cherished companion.
     
    jpelg and UncleMeat like this.
  13. 56GoldTop

    56GoldTop Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Nowhere, Ok
    Um, no...

    ...but, IMO, the better deals can be found in the used market. ARC supports their gear which makes buying used more attractive than say buying a used Parasound and risk any kind of support from the manufacturer (that's what I understand). The Carver really isn't that expensive and considering the unique circuit (if I'm reading that correctly), I think new is the better choice there as well.
     
    Last edited: Jun 17, 2019
  14. pdxway

    pdxway Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oregon, USA
    I have read that Parasound still supports their old amps. You won't get the warranty if buy used. But, they will fix your amp for a fee. If in doubt, you can always email.
     
  15. UncleMeat

    UncleMeat New Member

    Location:
    Walnut Creek, CA
    What he said. For those who have not listened to Bob's new 275, please do so. The sound is outstanding, way above it's price point. 5 Year warranty on tube life is a great + as well.
     
  16. UncleMeat

    UncleMeat New Member

    Location:
    Walnut Creek, CA
    Above post was in response to:
     
  17. Litejazz53

    Litejazz53 Perfect Sound Through Crystal Clear Digital

    Bring us up to date, any selection yet?
     
  18. Rick58

    Rick58 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Eagle, ID, USA
    I think he got an amp and is still sitting in the listening chair with a glazed look on his face as he goes thru his entire music collection ... :pineapple:
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine