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Thread: Parasound pairing?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
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    Default Parasound pairing?

    Anyone out there have experience with Parasound (Hint 6, specifically) and the Sierra tower? I am wondering about opinions on if they play nice. I am trying to put together a 2 channel system, and have started research. Living in a somewhat remote area, auditioning is difficult at best. Thank you all!

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Parasound pairing?

    Given that the towers are fairly high sensitivity and a fairly benign impedance load, just about any receiver or integrated amp will power them just fine. The Parasound is very nice but far more than you probably 'need.' If that's what you want, that's great. Go for it. But you could probably get by with something far less expensive if your budget is tight.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Parasound pairing?

    Thank you Beave! My concerns lie in terms of tonality, general sound, etc. Like pairing a 'bright' amp with bright speakers, that sort of thing. Another option is a Hegel. I am not looking for loads of power per say, just that clear sound that the Sierras are reported to have. I appreciate your input as I am flying somewhat blind here..

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Parasound pairing?

    Since you appear to be dealing with solid-state amps and not tubes, the idea of amps having a sound quality to themselves - such as 'warm' or 'bright' - is audio mythology.

    Competent solid-state amps are dead neutral until driven past their limits. I doubt you'd drive even most AVRs beyond their limits with the Sierra towers.

    Do you plan on using a subwoofer or two? If so, that reduces power amp requirements even more. If not, then how much power you need will depend on listening levels, distance from speakers, size of room, etc. Unless you're gonna play the towers at really loud levels in a big room, you don't need much power.

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Parasound pairing?

    I have parasound halo a23 class a/b that replaced with nuforce st100 D class because the nuforce was having a minor floor noise.
    When i listen and compare both, i can’t find a difinitve difference in tone but in long term listening, i find nuforce more pleasing, less harsh presentation.
    So my experience suggest that amps can sound different but sometimes is hard to point out.
    Last edited by RicardoJoa; 03-04-2019 at 03:05 AM. Reason: Misspelled can and can’t

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Parasound pairing?

    I always forget about Class D amps - they sometimes have a high enough output impedance to interact with the speaker's impedance and result in non-flat frequency response.

    But I'd still guess *most* alleged sound quality differences are results of 1) sighted comparisons 2) non level-matched comparisons 3)too much time to switch back and forth between amps

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Parasound pairing?

    In extreme cases, amplifier output impedance certainly can impact tone. Cables too. But it is not a universal class D issue. I know about one example, for reference. Hypex NCore NC400 'DIY' modules have a specified maximum output impedance of <0.001 ohms, up to 15 KHz. That is SPECTACULAR. To put it in context, just the contact resistance of speakON connectors on a cable (4 contacts, round trip) is specified at <0.008 ohms. Three meters of 10 gauge cable adds 0.020 ohms of resistance ("impedance" will be higher, as a function of frequency and cable construction). So, just the resistance of the best practical connection you will get between your amp and your speakers is 0.028 ohms or more - 28 times higher than the maximum specified output impedance of the NCore amp. If you could connect the output of the amp to an 8 ohm driver, directly, the damping factor would be >10,000. When you consider the loses in just connecting your speakers to an amp, a damping factor of >300 is essentially perfect.

    NCore amps have been out for 7 years. I don't know about the output impedance of other class D amps.
    Last edited by jimb; 03-04-2019 at 09:42 AM.

  8. #8
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    Default Re: Parasound pairing?

    Towers with RAAL?
    When I was looking at new amps last year, Dave's recommendation was a good class A/B over class D. As I recall, the RAALs can reproduce the switching "noise" inherent with class D amps. Whether or not you will notice it, I don't know. I went with a Rogue Atlas Magnum II for use with my S2's.

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Parasound pairing?

    Regarding class D amps, yes, Dave did express reservations. Some others seemed to have good experience. I cannot add my own listening experience, as I do not (yet) have these NC400 amps, but I will - get them. And while I'm getting them "only" for bass maps in a 3-way, active crossed over system (<120 Hz), nothing prevents me from trying them on S2s, other than time and connection adapters (mine are speakON). These NC400s DO have some 'trash' at high frequencies, but it is pretty high up there, and pretty low. I do expect the specific class D amp matters, with some being fine, and others not-so-much.
    Last edited by jimb; 03-07-2019 at 11:46 AM.

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Parasound pairing?

    I, too, seriously considered a class D amp. Listened to a D-Sonic at Dennis' place (owner of D-Sonic), although not RAAL speakers. The amp sounded excellent. The ATI N-cores were also a consideration; however, in speaking with one of their dealers, his recommendation was the ATI 4000 series for my listening preferences (mostly music). I do agree that the specific class D amp, and its implementation, likely matter. That said, I may add a class D to drive my ATMOS speakers (HTM200's) sometime in the future -- currently using an UPA7 from Emotiva for 4 atmos, center, and surrounds. For this, considering one of the 4 channels offered by Class D audio.

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