I have the opporunity to get a good deal on a Parasound HCA-800. I have a NAD T752 and Dynaudio 42's ,42C, and Paradigm cinema surrounds. Should I get the amp? It is rated 2x150 rms at 4 ohms. Or should I just wait and get a HCA-1000 rated at 4 ohms 2x200 rms. Any opinions would be appreciated.
In day to day listening you will not notice any real difference in volume between the two amps. Both are very capable and have a lot of reserve capacity. 150w vs 200w is only like 1dB louder. You need to double the power 150 to 300 to get 3dB increase in volume. So, if the 800 is a very good deal go with that one.
Thanks for the response Norman. The 800 is an older amp. Do you think it will sound better for 2 channel than the NAD T752 running in 2 channel? The T752 is supposed to be 100x2 in 2 channel stereo.
I've never listened to any NAD products or the 800/1000. My only experice with Parasound is my HCA-855A which I use for 2 channel and home theater. I find this amp to be very robust with more than its share of headroom for peaks. I think it sounds much more powerful than its rated 85w/channel. Most people who own Parasound amps have expressed similar comments on other forums. Do you have the chance to listen to the different pieces? If so, then let your ears be the judge. If not, then I would not hesitate to get the Parasound. Also, what is the sensitivity of your speakers? If they are low say less than or equal to 87dB/watt then you may want to consider a more powerful amp.
Good luck with your pruchase and if you have any more questions, let me know.
PS
You can take a peak at my setup in the Bragging Area in this forum. The thread is My HT.
I didn't get it. It went for pretty cheap on ebay $118. I am not quite sure what I want yet, and not sure if a 2 channel Parasound runnning the mains would blend well with the rest. I would be using the NAD AV for running center and surrounds. Wife is not particularly thrilled with my new obsession so I will cool the jets on buying more AV stuff. I started with Paradigm Titans, upgraded to Studio 20's and now on Dynaudio. All within 1 year. So she has a bit of a right to complain.
It works for the better anyways, I can hold off for a while and in the meantime do more research and auditioning.
My final setup would be somthing like yours. I am quite envious of your setup.