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PARASOUND P5 PRE AMP

36K views 218 replies 48 participants last post by  lefthandluke 
#1 ·
The P5 has now been out for a month or so. Demand is high and units are selling like crazy. It has excellent features such as built in crossovers and bass management. There are still no reviews on the net other than basic overviews. Has anyone heard this thing yet? How is the SQ? Does it lean more towards Mac smooth or Krell lean and clean? How good is it for $1100.00????? It looks fantastic.



 
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#2 ·
Parasound Owners thread...page 54...post 2694
 
#3 ·
It is very pretty. I would assume that it is competently designed and has no sound of its own so it shouldn't matter that someone has "heard" it since there shouldn't be anything to hear. If it has the connectivity you need and a price you can handle, I would think it should be just fine.
 
#4 ·
Purchased on a month ago and have about 50 hours on it. SQ is not the issue, its the features I really like. I run two tube amps through it in parallel. The features are great and the bass management is excellent with my Velodyne sub. Wanted something that had a nice preamp section for my Rega.


This is an excellent unit and I have had several conversations with Richard Schram of Parasound. They hit this one out of the park for the price point.
 
#5 ·
How good is it for $1100?


I tried one and did not think it sounded very good, but I was comparing it to a much more expensive unit.


There's not much available in a dedicated preamp that sounds really good to me at that price level. The Vincent is the only one I would recommend.


On the other hand, you can buy a Musical Fidelity M3i Integrated Amplifier, which sounds much better, for $1500, with a 90-watt per channel amplifier included.


There are several good integrated amplifiers in that price range that sound better IMO (Arcam, Creek, etc.)
 
#6 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by commsysman  /t/1512222/parasound-p5-pre-amp#post_24296257


How good is it for $1100?


I tried one and did not think it sounded very good, but I was comparing it to a much more expensive unit.


There's not much available in a dedicated preamp that sounds really good to me at that price level. The Vincent is the only one I would recommend.


On the other hand, you can buy a Musical Fidelity M3i Integrated Amplifier, which sounds much better, for $1500, with a 90-watt per channel amplifier included.


There are several good integrated amplifiers in that price range that sound better IMO (Arcam, Creek, etc.)

So, despite the vanishingly low numbers, you are able to "hear" preamplifiers?
 
#7 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by commsysman  /t/1512222/parasound-p5-pre-amp#post_24296257


How good is it for $1100?


I tried one and did not think it sounded very good, but I was comparing it to a much more expensive unit.


There's not much available in a dedicated preamp that sounds really good to me at that price level. The Vincent is the only one I would recommend.


On the other hand, you can buy a Musical Fidelity M3i Integrated Amplifier, which sounds much better, for $1500, with a 90-watt per channel amplifier included.


There are several good integrated amplifiers in that price range that sound better IMO (Arcam, Creek, etc.)

I am most interested in what you are specifically comparing it to? Price irrelevant. Please elaborate on the differences and be specific.

I am also considering the Cary SLP03 but that Psound looks delightful.


And please ignore the "They all sound the same" group. They do not all sound the same.......Example: Mcintosh= smooth sonic flood. Krell= lean clean bass monger.
 
#9 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by tritiumglo  /t/1512222/parasound-p5-pre-amp#post_24296582


I am most interested in what you are specifically comparing it to? Price irrelevant. Please elaborate on the differences and be specific.

I am also considering the Cary SLP03 but that Psound looks delightful.


And please ignore the "They all sound the same" group. They do not all sound the same.......Example: Mcintosh= smooth sonic flood. Krell= lean clean bass monger.

Obviously you haven't compared them with a bias controlled test.
 
#10 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by tritiumglo  /t/1512222/parasound-p5-pre-amp#post_24296582


I am also considering the Cary SLP03 but that Psound looks delightful.

I just bought a Cary SLP 03 that is replacing a Parasound 2100. Very limited listening so far but what I listened to I'm very impressed. One of my go to demo discs is the Patricia Barber Verse SACD. I've listened to this SACD many times and it sounded outstanding
.


Bill
 
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#11 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by FMW  /t/1512222/parasound-p5-pre-amp#post_24297656


Obviously you haven't compared them with a bias controlled test.

This is an age old debate on AVS. We will have to agree to disagree.

If someone cant hear the difference between a Mac and a Krell I do not know what to say. They are very different animals to me.
 
#12 ·
It seems to me that a true pre-amplifier is designed to be transparent unless you're using a tube preamp like the Cary above. The P5 does look nice and the fact that you can adjust the crossover for the mains is a plus (unlike my 2100 but 80Hz works just fine) along with the built-in DAC and supposedly better phono section.
 
#13 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by tritiumglo  /t/1512222/parasound-p5-pre-amp#post_24298569


This is an age old debate on AVS. We will have to agree to disagree.

If someone cant hear the difference between a Mac and a Krell I do not know what to say. They are very different animals to me.

What I'm telling you is that you can't hear the difference between them. Bring them and I will prove it to you.
 
#15 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by tritiumglo  /t/1512222/parasound-p5-pre-amp#post_24298569


This is an age old debate on AVS. We will have to agree to disagree.

If someone cant hear the difference between a Mac and a Krell I do not know what to say. They are very different animals to me.

Yes. Newer guy here to avs, and yes...this just baffles me.
 
#16 ·
You know, I switched out an NAD 163 for an Anthem AVM50 for a NAD M15. They all sounded different. Every single other component and variable remained identical. I'm not the only one that heard the difference. Everyone who has heard each of these components can hear differences. Especially the difference the Master series made. You can chart and graph all you want, Some of these components sound more alike than others but some are quite different. Of course this is my observation and opinion. We can sit here and call each other wrong till China occupies the US. We are simply not going to agree on this.


So here we go. A P5 thread de railed into an "it all sounds the same" thread.......
 
#17 ·
I compared the P5 to an Audio Research LS16.


The sound quality of the AR was much more natural and realistic sounding; much closer to the actual sound of the musical instruments and voices.


As just one example, the AR can do a pretty good job of reproducing the huge dynamic range of a concert grand piano, while the sound of the P5 was more like hearing it from two rooms away behind a curtain; unclear and lacking dynamic range.


Of course, one may not hear these differences nearly as well unless some very good speakers are being used.


FMW will tell you that a Motel 6 clock radio sounds just like a $10,000 high-quality stereo system, because they all just use transistors and all transistors sound the same.


If I told him that I like the Blue Corvette better than the white one, he would insist that I can't possibly tell any difference without a double-blind bias-controlled test.


There is no doubt in my mind when I clearly hear or see a distinct difference, and if he thinks something "proves" differently, that is his foolishness, which I cannot relate to at all.
 
#19 ·
I have been involved in audio and engineering design for 50 years, and I can tell you that there is no substitute for actually LISTENING to music through various sound systems, particularly some very good ones that will demonstrate the clarity and dynamics that the vast majority of sound systems completely lack.


You can get good sound with all sorts of audio designs, or tubes, or transistors, or op-amps, but what looks good on paper to even an experienced engineer does not always perform well.


I am constantly amazed at products that are relatively expensive and don't sound very good at all..


Don't these people LISTEN to the stuff before they put it on a production line?


I can understand CHEAP products that don't sound all that good, but expensive gear??


"search and read" is a very good idea, but it only gets you to where you can find the front steps. It takes a LOT more experience before you get through the door.



Quote:
Originally Posted by spkr  /t/1512222/parasound-p5-pre-amp#post_24300860


Let me say this to you as one newer guy to another, it baffled me too, until I did some search and read. Try it.
 
#20 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by commsysman  /t/1512222/parasound-p5-pre-amp#post_24300830


FMW will tell you that a Motel 6 clock radio sounds just like a $10,000 high-quality stereo system, because they all just use transistors and all transistors sound the same.


If I told him that I like the Blue Corvette better than the white one, he would insist that I can't possibly tell any difference without a double-blind bias-controlled test.


There is no doubt in my mind when I clearly hear or see a distinct difference, and if he thinks something "proves" differently, that is his foolishness, which I cannot relate to at all.

Here is a great example of not understanding the concept at all. Firstly, I've never said anything similar to a clock radio sounding like a HiFi system but let's help Mr Commy understand reality better. There are three kinds of audible differences - clearly audible, subtley audible and non existent. Like the color of a Corvette or a comparison between a clock radio and a Hi Fi system, clearly visual or clearly audible differences don't require a bias controlled test because there is no bias involved. The differences are clear. The brain is asked to make a comparison, it has no problem making the comparison and delivers the right answer every time.


When the differences become subtle to non-existent, the brain is either not always or never able to deliver a clear cut answer. It takes shortcuts and adds other stimuli to the decision - things like expectation, experience, preference etc. In these cases it deliver the right answer some of the time or it may get down to pure guesswork. The listener thinks he gets a clear answer but he gets an answer that is clouded with bias. We only discover these nearly inaudible or inaudible differences through a bias controlled test.


Everyone that has conducted bias controlled listening tests has discovered that hifi solid state preamps don't have a signature sound. Only tube preamps do. I've even owned two tube preamps that do not. This information isn't unique to my tests. It is universal among those who have conducted such tests. Those who listen with bias get al kinds of answers. Those of us who control bias get the same answer.


Those are the facts. They relate to everyone. Commy, you and I all suffer from hearing bias. It is perfectly normal. Commy has never done a bias controlled test so he doesn't understand that well designed solid state preamplifiers all sound the same because he allows bias to cloud his ability to compare. I know this because I've been where he is and have also done the bias controlled tests to correct where I've been.


The answer is very simple. Go do some bias controlled listening comparisons. I invite everyone to do it. I have no desire to keep my experience to myself. I want everyone that is willing to learn the truth. Instead of criticizing what we've done, go prove us wrong. Too difficult? Fearful of what you will learn? Just go do it.
 
#21 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by tritiumglo  /t/1512222/parasound-p5-pre-amp#post_24300031


You know, I switched out an NAD 163 for an Anthem AVM50 for a NAD M15. They all sounded different. Every single other component and variable remained identical. I'm not the only one that heard the difference. Everyone who has heard each of these components can hear differences. Especially the difference the Master series made. You can chart and graph all you want, Some of these components sound more alike than others but some are quite different. Of course this is my observation and opinion. We can sit here and call each other wrong till China occupies the US. We are simply not going to agree on this.


So here we go. A P5 thread de railed into an "it all sounds the same" thread.......

So you would rather we allow people to discuss and debate fantasy without pointing out the truth? For me, all you need to do is state up front that you enjoy engaging in biased comparisons and want others with the same preference only to engage in the debate. I will gladly stay out of the thread if you do that. With no warning, I tend to debate misinformation.
 
#22 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by commsysman  /t/1512222/parasound-p5-pre-amp#post_24300830


I compared the P5 to an Audio Research LS16.

If you still have them available. Bring them with $5000. We will do a bias controlled test. If you can tell them apart consistently, I'll give you $5000. If not, you give me $5000. Since you are certain of your skill put your money where your mouth is.
 
#23 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by commsysman  /t/1512222/parasound-p5-pre-amp#post_24300912


I have been involved in audio and engineering design for 50 years, and I can tell you that there is no substitute for actually LISTENING to music through various sound systems, particularly some very good ones that will demonstrate the clarity and dynamics that the vast majority of sound systems completely lack.


You can get good sound with all sorts of audio designs, or tubes, or transistors, or op-amps, but what looks good on paper to even an experienced engineer does not always perform well.


I am constantly amazed at products that are relatively expensive and don't sound very good at all..


Don't these people LISTEN to the stuff before they put it on a production line?


I can understand CHEAP products that don't sound all that good, but expensive gear??
Pardon me but I'm still waiting for your answer on this. http://www.avsforum.com/t/1512222/parasound-p5-pre-amp#post_24301269
Quote:
"search and read" is a very good idea, but it only gets you to where you can find the front steps. It takes a LOT more experience before you get through the door.
My search and read revealed that you post a lot of misinformation in this place. That's bad for the forum.
 
#24 ·
There is a huge thread on this debate. It has links and all kinds of research on the topic of "It all sounds the same".

Do we have to make every single forum a debate on this issue?




From Stereophile:
It seems reasonable to conclude from this and many similar accounts that long-term listening to an amplifier will reveal characteristics and annoyances that are extremely difficult to detect in a brief session. With this conclusion we would venture the further suggestion that one attribute of a "golden ears" listener is the ability to be annoyed in a few minutes by amplifier traits that take weeks to annoy most people.

http://www.avsforum.com/t/1114207/official-all-amps-sound-the-same-thread


Cant we get back to the P5 now?
 
#25 ·

Quote:
Originally Posted by tritiumglo  /t/1512222/parasound-p5-pre-amp#post_24302715


There is a huge thread on this debate. It has links and all kinds of research on the topic of "It all sounds the same".

Do we have to make every single forum a debate on this issue?


From Stereophile:
It seems reasonable to conclude from this and many similar accounts that long-term listening to an amplifier will reveal characteristics and annoyances that are extremely difficult to detect in a brief session. With this conclusion we would venture the further suggestion that one attribute of a "golden ears" listener is the ability to be annoyed in a few minutes by amplifier traits that take weeks to annoy most people.
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1114207/official-all-amps-sound-the-same-thread
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1114207/official-all-amps-sound-the-same-thread/1200#post_23612840
Quote:
Many (most?) of the current audio magazines, which coincidentally accept advertising dollars from makers of expensive amps, teach their readers that amps sound different. It is no wonder so many people fall for this myth, especially when what's needed to conduct the tests easily (yet properly) at home are hard to come by, such as an ABX comparator switch box and a means to precisely level match the two competing amps to a fraction of a decibel.
http://www.avsforum.com/t/1425262/are-audio-companies-all-involved-in-a-huge-conspiracy/2040#post_23061629
Quote:
What his tests show is that people can not tell the difference between two decently built or better amplifiers. He can show the difference using sensitive measurement equipment, however the differences are too small for humans to detect a noticeable difference.
 
#26 ·
And we continue........

There are threads for this. Take the pillow fight to the appropriate venue.

The P5 is a pre amp. This thread is for the P5. Yes?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
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