I used to own a Parasound pre amp. I think that it is very good budget hifi gear. Parasound falls somewhere between Adcom and NAD/Rotel. Parasound makes very good sounding entry level seperates. Their pre amp is better than Adcom and not quite as good as the NAD. Parasounds sins are more those of omission than of commission. They aren't quite as detailed as the better gear but they are very musical and balanced. I find that I like their pre amps better than their power amps. Actually a Parasound pre, Adcom power amp combo is very good (I know that is what I used to have).
I don't agree exactly with ART but in the general area.
Parasound can make some quite exceptional pieces both amps and preamps. I would give them a slight notch above adcom/rotel/nad.
Now every manufacturer makes some pieces that are much beter "and expensive" then others so if you took a bottom of the line parasound compaired to a top of the line piece from the other manufactures then no I would take the others. That should get the point accross I was trying to make.
Kegger you have a point. I wasn't thinking of the Halo gear as the dealers I have talked to tell me that the Halo line really doesn't sound much better than the budget line. It's all John Curl designed is the usual line from a Parasound dealer. I should have qualified my statement with more detail. I believe that the NAD pre and power amp sound better than the Parasound or I would have bought the Parasound as I do have access to them. The Rotel pre doesn't sound as good as the Parasound but their power amp does. The Adcom power amps have improved of late and sound pretty good but not as good as the Halo. Adcom pre amps are not very good at all. Those are obviously subjective observations and your mileage may vary.
Until recently Parasound eschewed the typical audiophile high end facades; meaning they put their money on the inside of the amp and not into a 3/4" thick faceplate. If you want that type of faceplate from Parasound it is available in the recent Halo line of products. The information you've received is pretty much what you need to know; though as Art said it is opinion. What most good budget audio strives for are "sins of omission" and not "sins of commission". It is generally accepted that audio equipment which gives the essence of the music while missing the last bit of detail or texture is less fatiguing than a product which wants to impress with how much music it can produce but does so poorly. Parasound, Adcom, BK, NAD, Rotel, etc. all go about this approach to budget quality sound in a slightly different fashion. Which set of choices you prefer from which designer is a matter of taste on your part just as much as it is a matter of choice and taste made by the designer. One benefit of separates is to allow mixing and matching of strengths and weaknesses to put together a well assembled system. Try not to fall into the trap of putting a forward sounding pre amp with a laid back power amp. That becomes a band aid approach and seldom accomplishes what you really require in a well put together system. A series of components which amplify each other's strengths and minimize the other's weaknesses gets much more music to you in a far more satisfying fashion.
Bottom line is; Parasound is good value product that should be viewed as not the best but it can give excellent results when put with sympathetic components. And you won't be paying for 3/4" thick faceplates unless you buy the Halo line.
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Any comments on the New Classic line products from Parasound? I understand that they are meant for home theatre. But do they perform equally well in stereo also?
I don't know anything about the latest products from parasound. Everything I've checked out/listened to/read about was from about a year and a half ago and back from there. The HCA-855A was the last product from parasound that I really looked over and ended up buying one for my surround setup, very nice.
I'm with Kegger I haven't heard theri very latest "New Classic Line" but the Halo gear I have heard and it is very good. I'll bet that the "New Classic Line" sounds good. Are you where you can't audition it? I would think that between Ogden and Provo there would be a place that carries it.
I like their personality in sound - has exciting captiviting sound - with shine on top. Some think the shine sounds like tin cans, and think it un-natural though.
Buying them used can be a problem, as they tend to break down quite a bit.
In general, their lower level stuff is an excellent amp for the price - poor man's mercedez.
To Art: Actually I work for a distributer who carries Parasound, hence my intrest :D. But, I'm still torn between a lot of the lines, NAD, Rotel, Arcam. etc.. I love my pioneer, but from things I hear, I could be increasing the sound quality of my system dramatically. I personally don't have a lot of experience with these lines (NAD, Rotel, Arcam etc. ) I came from more of a box store type. (Ultimate Electronics, [yeah, I drank the koolaid, just look at the cables in my profile lol.])
I really like the NAD preamp and it has a great little phono section. My friend has a Rega P3 hooked to hers and it sounds wonderful. I use my NAD pre with a fantastic 8-10 yr old Hafler 9505 power amp. Sounds good for all kinds of music. I think Parasound can be very satisfying if matched well with other gear as well.