Parasound Owners Thread - Page 28

Tech,

I did what Richard is talking about to trigger my amp with my Onkyo 805. Below is a link to the Radio Shack site that shows the 12V/500mA AC Adapter I bought there. If you go to Radio Shack tell them you need this adapter and that you need 3.5mm mono plug on the other end (no soldering needed). The one I have has a right angle mini mono plug that I believe I used with my Parasound A52 amp. So you plug the AC Adapter in to the switched outlet on the Denon and then plug the mini plug into the amp. This will trigger the amp to turn on when you power up the Denon. You will need to plug the amps power cord into a wall outlet as the ac adapter is to just trigger the amp on and off.

http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...stuff-you-want

Bill

Thanks for the reply, depending on the model (and how old) I might not have an option for the mini 3.5mm plug, some parasound amplifiers only have the older style two pin U-shaped plugs that need to be secured by philips screwdriver. Any how like you said I can install any type of adapter that I may need.

What Richard is saying, adding a 3.5mm plug to the wall wart provides a trigger connection for the HCA amp on the Denon. Its just a matter of connecting the trigger cable between the amp and the adapted wall wart on the Denon.

If thats the case look for a low priced AC adapter and cut off the end. Then strip back each wire and connect them to the amps trigger.

Bill

I wanted to thank everyone including Richard at Parasound, I have always loved their amplifiers and pre-amplifiers because they sound better than there price suggests! I wish twelve years ago I had purchased a Parasound 5-channel amplifier with pre-amplifier, it would have made upgrading now an easier and less expensive ordeal!

Peak Current is a very important factor in an amplifier. This is one of the differences between the New Classic Series and the HCA and HALO series'. I do not know of any avr/receiver that can match the peak current of a standalone amplifier. This is the main reason most of us use standalone amps: MORE POWER. Basically, peak current is your power. The more the better up to a point. You have to look at harmonic distortion an channel separation too (the lower the better). I doubt you will find a receiver with much more than 10-15 amps peak and then when all channels are driven it may even drop below that. AVR and receivers are rated differently than standalone amps so it is hard to compare the specs but if you think about it, how can a $1000 AVR compare to a $1000 amp when it comes to power? Normally, this is where the avr/receiver comes up short. Most home users don't really need a lot of power - speakers are typically small. How much you need depends on the size of your speakers, how efficient they are, how loud you play them, the total number of speakers and so forth.

The MAIN thing concerning amps/AVRs is do they have to drive the bass frequencies. And how live/dead the room is. I'm currently driving my main L/R with an old HK Citation 19 and in this small, but live room(all concrete) I've yet to go over 5w output (100w/3.7amp max). But that amp is NOT driving the low bass as I have a pair of 500w subs.

And even in a much larger and neutral room, I never came close to maxing my HCA2205A (60 amps peak). For comparison, my HK AVR635 has 50 amp peak.

As I noted in my post, you cannot compare amps and receivers for power - they are not rated the same.

With HK their specs are always under rated, most certainly their power ratings.
HK 100w more like 125~150w in other brands. I suspect the current ratings would be similar. The HK 635 certainly never ran out of gas, even driving <4u loads, like with JBL L890 between 80~250 htz.

While we are on the topic about the difference between amps and receivers, what do these specs mean, ie. Current capacity: 30 amperes peak per channel. Also do receivers (high-end of course) even come close to this spec?

I've been looking into the Halo A23 as a possible upgrade for my Emotiva XPA-3 which runs a pair (one idle channel) of Paradigm Signature 6 speakers. I would be stepping down in wpc, but I find that anything over 80db starts to cross my threshold of comfortable listening, so I barely use a couple of watts per channel since my Paradigms are rated at 91 sens.

From what I've read so far, the A23 has a bias towards Class A of either 2.75 watts or less. It's a balanced design, which would be perfect for the Oppo 95 I have coming with its balanced outputs and I'd connect the two directly.

What I'm wondering is, what is the house sound of Parasound? I can't find direct info on that as yet, but it seems to be not on the bright or forward side as my Emotiva is. Also, I can't find the gain number of the A23. The Emo gear is mostly designed at around 32db, as my XPA-3 is. Although the A23 has variable gain, I'd still like to know the full on gain and the size of the transformer, which is listed at both 780 and 1KV on the Parasound site.

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

You're right, in the fact Parasound are NOT bright. I would call them closer to warm, similar to Marantz, HK. All three certainly make my JBLs sound right.

Parasound's Halo amplifiers are very natural sounding with emphasis on clean, warm and detailed sound with enough bottom end for just about any speaker. I would like to own an A52 amplifier some day and make a move away from AV receivers!

The normal gain level is set to full clockwise (THX reference). Rarely will you ever have the gain turned down. Only if you find you can't precisely adjust the output at low volume will it be set to less than THX. It is not a situation you need to be concerned about.

Lucky for you.......My ear doctor tells me to limit music (or any sound for that matter) to a max of 80db to protect my hearing. I had always thought that only sustained high levels would damage the hearing but he said anything over 80db could eventually take its toll on my ears. I am in my 50's now and have lost some hearing in one ear already. Probably just wear and tear but wish I had known about the cumulative effect years before.

As to the db max a person can tolerate, from a sound system greatly depends on the speakers used and the room.
Where I'm living now, using the same system as before, I have the volume much lower due to the fact this room's construction produces a much more live sound. The room I built in '97 was about as neutral as a room gets, thus needing more power to produce the same output.
Even with a total of 10 absorption panels, this room is still produces a 'live' sound.

I had an A52 for awhile and it is a great amp. But to be honest I have had many different amps in my system and have not noticed much if any SQ differences. I know many will disagree with this opinion but its what I have experienced in my system. I have found that speakers, speaker positioning and ones room play a much larger role in SQ than any amp changes.

If you are looking for an excellent affordable M/C amp look at the Sherwood Newcastle A-965. The A-965 has two additional channels than the A52 and has a similar power rating. I've owned two Boston Acoustic A7200s which are A-965 clones. I find the A7200 to be an excellent sounding amp with power to spare.

Sherwood Newcastle A-965

Bill

thanks for the responses and advice on the sound characteristics of Parasound amps. I also shot an email over to Parasound and got 2 responses, within 24 hours!

The A23 does indeed have a gain of 29db and a class A operation of the first 2.75 watts. I'm really tempted...

Give me an A52 and some high frequency panels for front and back walls and things will start (sounding better) looking good!

Anyone ever done any listening tests to compare a tube amp (hybrid or all tube) to the HCA series or Halo series?

Hello,
The A23 is almost identical to the older HCA-1000a. The 1000a is a nice amplifier and I used one bridged to drive my Center Channel. Compared to the XPA-3, I really do not think it would represent a major upgrade. The A51 or A52 would certainly be, but I am afraid the A23 would be somewhat of a sideways move.
Cheers,
AD

Hi Bill,

You know, upgrade-itis is a funny thing.

I still use a lowly Parasound HCA855A bought in 2002 from UBID for a pittance in my modest low to mid-fi system. Throughout the years, much like you, I've been tempted many times to upgrade, even if only for future expansion of my current 3.1 system (small room, tight layout, so downsized from 5.1).

Now the latest sore temptation is the closeout pricing on the A-965 at $699. Undoubtedly it is a very fine amp and while the power ratings are modest by wattage lover standards, I know from reviews that the internals of the amp are very thoughtfully designed and implemented, just like its twin the A7200 which, as you know, I also coveted for a while. 80 lbs of 7 channel amp should not be treated lightly in any respect (no pun intended).

And every time one of these opportunities comes down the pike, I once again revisit the manuals and compare specs to give me the once-and-for-all reason the pull the trigger. I don't know ... maybe I'm just cheap. Maybe having a small multi-purpose listening room filled with furniture helps keep my wallet closed.

But as a long time Parasound owner, I still find that the 'tiny' 855A with a 1 kVA toroid, 68,ooouF in 5 channels, 115dB SN ratio, etc. just continues to fit the bill for me and my 88dB, 6 Ohm speakers. How long I can avoid finally upgrading in this area is an open question. Maybe when the wife and I build our retirement place? C'est la Vie!

So how you enjoying those Songtowers(?), you lucky dog!!!!?

Paul

I agree 100% on how much help sound panels can help a rooms acoustics and the overall SQ of ones system. But I'm not totally sold on the impact of amps in ones system in regard to overall SQ improvements. I have had amps from Bel Canto, Boston Acoustics, Emotiva, NHT, Outlaw, Parasound and Sherbourn. With all these amps I have not heard significant differences in SQ opposed to what I have heard with speaker changes and or speaker location changes.

Bill

[quote=ClarkeBar;21037449]

Hey Paul,

I don't find upgraditis funny at all as it is a serious sickness. One that I can't seem to cure, unless I buy more gear. Speaking of which I just bought three Outlaw M2200 monoblock amps. I had no intention of an amp change but the price from a local sale was just too good. They do sound great but not a huge difference over the A7200. I can not do an A-B comparison between the M2200s and the A7200 but the differences could be in my head. But the fact that the M2200s have more power could be what I'm hearing more than anything else.


The 855A is far from a lowly amp as any Parasound amp is a high quality excellent sounding amp.


I highly recommend the A-965. At the current price of $699.00 it is the best affordable MCH amp available IMO. The power rating for the A-965 from what I understand is on the conservative side.


If you are happy with the 855A then there is no need to upgrade to the A-965 if it would even be an upgrade.


I'm very happy with the STs and I do not see any need for a speaker upgrade for a very long time.

Bill

I think the A51 or A52 are multi channel amps and I only want a 2 channel amp. Sine the A23 runs in class A(for the first 3 watts) the theory is it would sound better than a class AB amp. Plus the Parasounds have a warmer sound.
As I had mentioned I only take my system up to 80db or so, which means I only use a watt or two with my 91 sens. speakers.

Of course this is all theory and the only way to know for sure is to try it out. Mating the amp with my new oppo 95 via balanced connections might add to the synergy I'm hoping as well.

Or not...Anyone?

I am contemplating purchasing a Parasound A51 amplifier and had a couple of questions that hopefully somone can help me out on.

1. In addition to the rack ears that come with the amplifier will I need a rack shelf to support the weight of the amplifier or will the rack ears support the amp alone?

2. I have a Raxxess SKRS42-20. Which is a 20 inch depth rack.
I think that the amp should fit rack mounted eventhough the rack and amp are 20 inches in depth? I am basing this on the amp not being wider than the rear rack rails which should allow it to protrude through the back of the rack??
It also apperas that the rack ears do not mount flush with the front of the amp which should make the amp protrodude slightly through the front of the rack giving some clearance in the back?????

Am I correct on my assumptions or ????

Thanks

[quote=Bill Mac;21038128]
ha!ha!ha!


And I used to think I was sufferer

Guys, can anyone tell me if the halo a23 is stable in bridged mode driving a 4ohm nominal load? The parasound site doesn't specify a rating at this load so I was wondering if they advise against doing it at all. Thanks guys.

Not sure about that particular amp. But if its like my old Citation 19 amp, the bridged mode is only for 16 and 8 ohm loads.

Contact Parasound. They are very good at helping.