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Thinking of buying either the Parasound A23 or one of the Monoprice Monolith amps to drive front left and right Sierra 2's as a replacement for the Emotiva UPA2 I am currently using.
About 80/20 music / movies.
Any one hear both of these (or one or the other) and have any inputs?
Thanks,
I have an older ATI, and think it’s great. I would not hesitate to try the Monolith.
The again, the Halo has a great reputation.
Ha...that doesn’t really help you.
Thanks, Curtis. I am leaning towards the Monolith...
Well, I decided to add a tube amp for my front Left and Right Sierra 2's as I am primarily music... have a Rogue Atlas Magnum II on the way:)
Interesting choice. Would like to hear your impressions when you have a chance to try it out .
Will do. Supposed to arrive Friday.Quote:
Originally Posted by SteveM
Reviews were very positive. I had considered also either a Stereo 90 or Stereo 100 (higher up the line), but wife (and I) preferred look of the Atlas. The Atlas also looks to be a bit less work for checking/adjusting tube bias (don't need to remove cover) when needed.
My phono preamp is also tube design (Manley Chinook).
I would love to hear your impressions of that amp as well. I thought about that one but it's still a bit lofty for my budget.Quote:
Originally Posted by racrawford65
As for the original poster's question regarding the Halo A23, FYI..... you should be able to find a great deal on one since Parasound just released the replacement amp.
I was the original poster and almost pulled the trigger on the A23 a month or so ago as they were discounted to 799 at Audio Advisor due to the new model coming out. Went tubes instead as posted above.
The Atlas arrived and now in my system. I did find a used one so that saved me some $. The two dealers I contacted for new didn't offer much of a discount.
Now on to my initial impressions.
It's definitely a big step up from the Emotiva UPA2 I was using before. Very well balanced sonically. I think the UPA2 was a bit brighter compared to the Rogue. I hear more definition/separation of different instruments with the Rogue, and the bass seems much tighter. All in all, the Sierra 2's are singing with the Rogue.
If you need an integrated amp, the Cronus Magnum II incorporates the preamp into the Atlas Magnum. Several for sale on either usaudiomart or audigon. Not sure if it is still available, but one was from a dealer (Demo unit) with full warranty. There are also a couple of Stereo 90's available...I also considered this (as it is higher up the Rogue line), but wife preferred look of the Atlas. I did, as well, and felt the Atlas would be easier to check/adjust bias than the Stereo 90 (need to remove the top)
Nice review! I hadn't come across anyone pairing the Sierra 2s with a tube amp (though I'm sure many do). Sounds inviting.