We’re impressed by the peak current output figure of 45amps, too. There’s plenty of refinement here, and a degree of finesse that eludes similarly powerful rivals. DSD is also on the menu, with the amp’s module happy to accept anything up to DSD 256. And despite what the purists say, on occasion, for example when playing a poorly engineered recording, they can be useful. Moves the sound through the system with ease, power and fluid control. Take the lid off the amp and you’ll find a generous power supply, shielded toroidal mains transformer and plenty of heatsinking. I'm curious about the overwhelming silence on the DRs. NY 10036. It renders this heart-breaking piece of music with the delicacy it deserves, delivering low-level dynamic shifts with an impressive lightness of touch. It’s certainly better than most built-in phono modules we have come across. Side note - while there's no problem finding reviews on Parasound amps, I looked long and hard and couldn't find even a hint of a real review on one of the Emotiva DR models - and they've been out for a while now. Throughout they performed flawlessly, delivering sound of exemplary clarity and control, perhaps fractionally on the cool side of neutral, but not excessively so and never compromising the reproduction of warmth. It’s not often that such a fully-specified amplifier still delivers top-class sound quality. Though not the last word in solid-state amplification, the A21 offers a … "Doing so has proved that extremely high performance-per-dollar is still possible today when a company leverages decades of experience, and is spearheaded by a legend." It plays all kinds of music files without issue and delivers a sound packed with insight and enthusiasm. He tried the Classe amplifier which is a class D like the NAD and found the other 2 amps to be better match with the F228Be so I decided to go with the new Parasound. Parasound calls the Halo Integrated a 2.1 channel amplifier. Overall Rating: 5/5 Stars - Ken Stein and Steve Dellasala Luister (Netherlands), November 2003 MORE: Best hi-fi deals – CD players, amps, DACs and more. Parasound Halo A21 $2495 An excellent Class AB stereo transistor amp, designed by the redoubtable John Curl, capable of 250Wpc into 8 ohms (400 into 4 ohms). All rights reserved. The rated power output is 160W per channel into 8 ohms and rises to 240W per side as impedance halves. The power supply and power amplifier are arranged in a dual-mono configuration to aid stereo imaging. Parasound a31 THX Amplifier for Home Theaters | The Review The parasound a31 is a 3 channel amplifier that delivers 250 or 400 watts per channel. Changes from the original A 21→A 21+ 250 → 300 Watts (8Ω) 400 → 500 Watts (4Ω) 750 → 1000 Watts (bridged) Filter cap: 88,000 uF → 108,000 uF Reply to this topic; Start new topic; Recommended Posts. Please refresh the page and try again. Gambit 1870 75 ... (Parasound P5) and Power amps and subs and speakers. This is a good performer. The supplied remote splits opinion too. But an amplifier is not just about cosmetics especially when considering that most Audio Enthusiasts seem more interested in sound quality and features. Design and Setup of the Parasound Halo A 31 Power Amplifier. A paradigm of power and touch, its bass response is startling in its boldness, extension, and iron-fisted grip. Toward the end of this review, I received the new Parasound Halo P6 preamp that will solve this woe. We plugged the Parasound into our usual reference set-up of Naim NDS/555PS streamer, Clearaudio Innovation Wood turntable and ATC SCM50 speakers and it sounds right at home. If you end up with a tonally unbalanced sound we can say with some confidence that the Parasound won’t be the problem. The Absolute Sound’s Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2018. The top end is crisp and has plenty of bite. Sure, there remains plenty of authority here, how could there not be with all the muscle present, but the Halo proves that it has sophistication to go along with it. That’s a lot of grunt, certainly enough to get good volume levels from just about any speaker this amplifier is likely to be partnered with. While its perspective is not as romantic as that of its “godmother,” the Dynaco Stereo 70, it is far better focused, clearly more dynamic, and in general a higher-resolution device. It’s a clean midrange, perhaps lacking a touch of natural warmth, but brimming with clarity. A categories where most amps cost 10 000 - 100 000$ or more. Considering that all of these items cost a minimum of four times the Parasound’s price, that’s quite some achievement. It is worth reading cover to cover. I use the a21 for stereo music and surround. In short, the Halo will cope with just about every music file you’re likely to have. Parasound Halo JC5 power amplifier . Get all the expert product reviews on 2020 Parasound Amplifier models. FS: Parasound Halo P5 2.1 Preamp w/ DAC , Yamaha C-4 Vintage Preamp: Audio Equipment For Sale: 0: Nov 28, 2020: P: Should I add a DAC for Node2i + Parasound A21 + KEF LS50 setup? There’s a good degree of transparency here, and strong, well developed dynamics. Echo Pick. Two-channel music sounds close to live, and the movies at home feel just like the theater. It’s something we find in many premium digital products, usually delivering excellent results. Wilson Audio Specialties Chronosonic XVX Loudspeaker, Subsonic Subwoofer, and ActivXO Crossover, Schiit Audio Modius DAC and Magnius Preamplifier/Headphone Amplifier, Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2019 : Loudspeaker, Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2019 : Digital Electronics, An Interview with John Bring of Cable Support Plate, The Absolute Sound’s High-End Audio Hall of Fame | 2020 Inductees, Lauren Daigle’s Grammy Award Winning Album “Look Up Child” to be released December 11 in 45RPM LP Format, The Absolute Sound’s Buyer’s Guide to Electronics 2017, The Absolute Sound’s Top Picks in High-End Audio and Music 2017, The Absolute Sound’s Buyer's Guide to Affordable High-End Audio 2017, Hank Williams: Pictures from Life’s Other Side. © We put Parasound’s HINT 6, a powerful and seriously versatile stereo amplifier, through its paces. Hi-Fi News December 2018. "Parasound has chosen to take a staple core product that has remained an exceptional value for over fifteen years, the Halo A21 amplifier, and re-spin it into the Halo A21+," reports Michael Zisserson at positive-feedback.com. Quad Artera Stereo $2299 This 140-watt-per-channel amplifier—the latest refinement of Quad’s innovative, patented, award-winning “current dumping” technology—is, in PS’ opinion, the finest amplifier the company has ever made by a good margin, and unquestionably the most uncompromised implementation of Walker’s current-dumping circuit. Offering the same 250 WPC into 8 ohms and 400 WPC into 4 ohms that the A21 and A 51 do, the A 31 makes an ideal mate for your front three speakers without having to spend money on … It has outputs for a subwoofer and the option to set the crossover frequency. It supplies a surprising amount of understandable technical … Though GH found an occasional lack of top-end smoothness in the sound of orchestral strings, he noted owners could tailor its presentation by rolling input tubes. After 15 years of devoted service, Parasound has retired its beloved Halo A 21 amplifier. I haven't done the same review (Outlaw 100-watter vs the A51's 250) on my new speakers, but I'm happy to report that I love my new speakers (Focal BE 1027) and they have wowed everyone who has heard them. We can’t imagine this amplifier getting caught short in a conventional two-channel context. I currently own 4 x parasound amplifiers, a21, a31, a23 x2. Indeed, their transient quickness and ability to drive difficult loads may fool you into thinking you’re listening to a very good hybrid. Parasound seems to have attended to every aspect of their design including the excellent build quality internally and externally matched with great looks. While no replacement for a good dedicated outboard unit, it preserves the pleasing qualities of the line inputs. Not merely a tube circuit placed in front of a Class D output section, it creates a sound completely unlike those first Class D amps that bit your ears. The Halo’s appearance splits opinion among our test team – some thinking the LEDs on the front panel a touch overdone, others not liking the control layout – but there’s no denying the solidity of the casework, or the care taken in the finish. The ST-10 did a superb job of driving a variety of speakers with authority and control. At first look the Parasound Halo A 21 and A 51 are appealing and robust amplifiers accented by brushed metal finish and a "Halo" aqua blue light around the power button. Review>>> Parasound A21+ power amp $3300 - 300 watts of A/B, but stays in class A for most of your listening. It’s clear and consistent with the amplifiers performance through the speaker outputs. The Absolute Sound team is proud to highlight Martin Logan and Paradigm, known for loudspeaker innovation. Parasound seems to have attended to every aspect of their design including the excellent build quality internally and externally matched with great looks." There’s the usual trio of inputs – USB, coax and optical – with upper limits of 32-bit/384kHz for the asynchronous USB and 24-bit/192kHz for the other options. This means any tonal character is much more likely to come from your speakers, or to a lesser extent your source or cables. Benchmark AHB2 $2995 A very low-distortion, 100Wpc solid-state amplifier that is virtually flawless when driving stable loads within its somewhat narrow power limits. Wyred 4 Sound SX-1000R $3598 While many amplifiers use Bang & Olufsen’s ICE output device, the SX-1000R combines it with its own direct-coupled, balanced, dual-FET input stage, designed by Bascom King. Audio Science Review July 2020. But the M22 is not just about the bottom octaves—particularly rewarding was the broader more crisply defined frequency extension, color, and open-window transparency. There was a problem. The circuit is based on Class A input and driver stages and a switching output section. Audio Alchemy DPA-1 and DPA-1M $1995 and $3990/pr. New Series 2 version currently under review. Frustrated, and for the sake of this review, I was forced to speculate about the nature of accurate and neutral. We’re no strangers to testing high-end integrated amplifiers, but they are normally purist affairs where every feature has been stripped back in the pursuit of sound quality. This combination of features gives a great deal of flexibility in the set-up of a stereo speakers/ subwoofer combination. This amplifier has a beautifully judged tonal balance that sounds bang on neutral to our ears. The ST-10 is a very quiet, extremely low-noise power amplifier that, as long as it isn’t pushed into clipping, sounds exceedingly neutral and uncolored. If you’re after one do-it-all amp, there are few better alternatives. Digital is well catered for. Audio Alchemy’s DPA-1 stereo amplifier and DPA-1M monoblock deliver superb sound in an affordable and compact package. Parasound Halo, ZoneMaster, Z Custom, and NewClassic are four distinct product families. Parasound A21+ Parasound's more powerful and refined successor to the John Curl-designed A21, boasting 300wpc into 8ohms and remarkable stability. MORE: High-resolution audio: everything you need to know. They also excel at throwing a huge and three-dimensional soundstage with precise image specificity. It copes well, delivering the free-flowing bassline of Get Up Stand Up with enthusiasm. We like the way this amplifier renders the song’s rhythmic drive: it’s surefooted and precise. Rated "A class" by Stereophile. We’re pleasantly surprised by the Halo Integrated. Parasound JC2 preamp $4495 - Stereophile Class A rated. See below for more reviews. You may not be blown away by the STA200’s looks, but its sound turns it into one sexy beast. NuForce STA200 $1299 Basic solid-state power amplifiers are not, due to their essential nature (boxes with parts inside), sexy objects that inspire a lot of audiophile lust. The headphone output is another well-engineered circuit. We move to Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture and the Halo sounds right at home. Both amplifiers are identical except for output power. $2,995: $2,995: NEW. Move up the frequency range and the Halo continues to impress. If you’re expecting performance to be the downside you’ll be disappointed. It’s nicely judged, though, staying on the right side of aggressive even when provoked by coarse recordings like Bruce Springsteen’s Terry’s Song. "The Parasound Halo A 21 and A 51 are top rate amplifiers at a great value. Designed by the legendary John Curl, the A21+ is universally recognized as a world class amplifier. I never thought I would be lacking the power in these units. The Halo copes brilliantly with the music’s demanding dynamic swings and stays firmly in charge when the piece becomes busy. That JV ultimately concluded it did is beside the point. In the Parasound power amplifiers this lead to 10dB to 20dB more distortion since less open-loop gain, and thus less feedback, is available. Wyred 4 Sound ST-500 mkII/ST-1000 mkII $1499–$1999 These high-efficiency power amplifiers—delivering 250 and 500Wpc respectively—have got to be among the great bargains in audio. Parasound A21 issue Parasound A21 issue. Parasound’s approach with its Halo Integrated is unusual, and refreshingly accommodating. 4 Distinct Product Lines. NuPrime ST-10 $1595 The NuPrime ST-10 amplifier is what NuPrime calls “near reference class.” Why only “near” reference? Parasound A23 Review Stereophile - Unique Gift Ideas - mySimon is the premier price comparison shopping online site letting you compare prices and find the best deals on all the hottest new products! STEREOPHILE PARASOUND on display: PARASOUND HALO A23+ stereo power amp, 160-240W/ch JC1* Power amps, 400- 1200W/ch JC3jr* Phono preamp P6* Stereo preamp with built-in DAC Stereo Integrated Amp with built-in DAC PARASOUND CLASSIC 2100 Stereo preamp 2125 stereo power amp, 125-200W/ch PARASOUND Z - Only 9.5" wide! We can’t remember the last time we reviewed a product such as this with bass and treble controls. We like the simple button layout, but it doesn’t feel luxurious. NAD Masters M22 $2999 The partner to the excellent M12 preamp/DAC, the M22 is a 250Wpc hybrid Class D amplifier that uses the latest nCore amp technology licensed from Hypex. Pricing depends upon options (i.e., WBT binding posts, power, etc.). There’s a dedicated preamp feed too. So far the Halo is doing everything right. Unusually, this also features a (high pass) crossover that can be switched into circuit. If you are in the market for an integrated amplifier/DAC with AV sweetners then pay attention to Paul Rigby who gives the Parasound Halo a test Bit of an Swiss Army knife, is the Halo. The good news continues with the phono stage. Daily digest of Parasound Amplifier Reviews by Critics from around the web. "The new JC 5 is a remarkable amplifier that creates a new sweet spot in our Halo product family," said Richard Schram, the president and founder of Parasound. It goes deep, exploring more of the dynamic contrasts and harmonic complexities that define the timbre of a bass drum or skin of a tympani or the drumhead of a tom-tom. A couple of years ago, Parasound introduced the Halo A 31 ($3295 USD), a three-channel version of their top-of-the-line stereo and multichannel amplifiers, and the subject of this review. is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Odyssey Audio Stratos $2700/pr. “A precision instrument designed to perform the precisely defined task of reproducing music and sound accurately, which it does essentially to perfection,” says PS. Positive Feedback January 2019. It’s a dedicated module built around a Texas Instruments TPA6120A chip. As with Parasound power amplifiers the JC-2 uses JFET's which have a much lower transconductance than bi-polar transistors. They stay locked in place regardless of volume level or musical complexity. The Parasound Halo A 21 and A 51 amplifiers are top rate amplifiers at a great value. It's hard to see the offsetting benefit from use of the JFET's. Power hungry. We use a range of headphones, from Beyerdynamics’ T1 right the way through to a pair of AKG K550s, without issue. You get a switchable phono stage, a headphone output and even tone controls. But if sound quality and solid-state reliability are your primary purchasing criteria, the STA200 should be on your radar. Last edited: Jan 20, 2019. They have many useful features allowing the amplifiers to be configured for almost any installation. Share Followers 0. Description Since 1981, Richard Schram, founder and CEO of Parasound Products, Inc., has built the brand on making audio components that look and sound expensive, but sell for much less than it appears they should. Sign up below to get the latest from What Hi-Fi?, plus exclusive special offers, direct to your inbox! Audio by Van Alstine Ultravalve $1599 The 35Wpc Ultravalve is a thoroughly modern and rationally priced vacuum-tube amplifier. Though not the last word in solid-state amplification, the A21 offers a lot of power at an affordable price. Parasound’s A21 dispensed truly sumptuous sound," notes England's Hi-Fi News magazine for November 2011. We start off by feeding the amp’s line level input a bit of Bob Marley. Although they were not accorded a formal review, PS used them to drive the Emerald Physics CS3.2 II speakers, and then for a good month auditioned them on his Quad 2805s. Yet they still have that wonderful tube magic. A21+ Power amplifier. Product Code: AHD A21. The pricier, but far less well equipped, Naim SuperNait 2 shows more in the way of momentum and reveals subtle pace changes more easily, but the Halo does well enough to hold our interest. As far as reviewer SS can tell it’s because this stereo amplifier only puts out 150 watts per side into an eight-ohm load. Press Esc to cancel. Here it delivers a large sound stage – one that’s impressively wide – and layers it with skill. Visit our corporate site. Info Review. It joins the two-channel Halo A 21 and the five-channel Halo A 51 -- only the Halo JC 1 monoblock costs more. It's an easy piece to love. Instruments are precisely positioned and focussed with care. The STA200 will never be accused of looking sexy or especially stylish unless you’re into stark minimalism. This is useful if you want to integrate the Halo into your surround set-up, say by using it to power the front left and right speakers and leaving your AV amplifier to drive the others. Think of every feature you could reasonably expect to find in a premium stereo integrated – and the Halo probably has it. We plugged the Parasound into our usual reference set-up of Naim NDS/555PS streamer, Clearaudio Innovation Wood turntable and ATC SCM50 speakers and it sounds right at home. As Parasound defines it, value begins to decline when additional cost provides only marginal and diminishing returns, and increases when a product is reliably functional over decades. Thank you for signing up to What Hi-Fi?. These amps are characterized by outstanding bass extension, control, and authority, coupled with explosive dynamics. Background noise levels are impressively low too. Fast, powerful, and resolving, the Hydra reproduces instrumental tones and timbres with accuracy and texture, has good spectral balance, and creates a consistently broad and vivid soundstage. Selected the A21+ based on Kal’s review of the F228Be’s. Parasound Hint 6. Best 55-inch TVs 2021: smart, 4K, HDR and OLED TVs, Best cheap TVs 2021: the best budget 4K TVs, Best 50-inch TVs 2021: 4K TVs for every budget. The question is: Do you really want to? There isn’t quite the purity we hear through the analogue inputs, but this number-crunching module remains an entertaining performer. The component under review, the $2000 Halo A 21 stereo amp, is slotted in further down the Parasound line. There’s also a ‘home theatre’ input that bypasses the amplifier’s volume control and feeds the signal straight into the power amplifier section. These beautifully built, affordable, and “hassle-free” 70Wpc monoblocks will alter your preconceptions about tube gear. Given a piece of music such as Beth’s Theme from Olafur Arnolds, the Parasound excels. Additionally, Parasound's A21 just won a… See pictures, this amp is a beast. Parasound Products was founded in 1981, in San Francisco, by Richard Schram, whose mission was to provide value for the money to his customers. Build quality is as good as we’d expect for the price. The Absolute Sound is the world’s preeminent source of expert reviews, features, and commentary on high-performance audio and music. The ability to optimise performance will usually lead to a better sound. Parasound’s feature-packed high-end amplifier is a knockout. They can be switched out of the signal path when not needed, giving a slightly clearer sound. You will receive a verification email shortly. It’s packed full of useful features and is easy to match. There are five single-ended line-level inputs plus a balanced XLR option. Future US, Inc. 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor, What Hi-Fi? 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