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New member Username: LarbytownGolden, CO Post Number: 1 Registered: Feb-09 | Hello, I am wondering if I should have my McIntosh MA6100 preamp/amp refurbished or purchase new Parasound Halo P3 & A23. I have Klipsch La Scala's and have heard the Parsound equipment may run too "clean" or neutral for the LaScala's. Any recommendations??? |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 13375 Registered: May-04 | . "Too clean" is a eupheism for what exactly? Only you can decide what to do in this situation. Yes, I would expect the Parasound to be a bit over the top with the LaScalas. Most especially so if you have done nothing more than place the very large, very heavy LaScalas where they fit in your room. But, then, your ears are considerable older than when the MA6100 or the LaScalas were new. Here's the rub, the MA6100 is now thirty years old. Lots of things have changed in the past thirty years as far as component quality is concerned. Personally, I use near fifty year old Mac tube amps that have been refurbished stem to stern - leaving only the original chassis and transformers but changing no circuit layout - in my main system. I also have a stock MA6200 that is fine for a second system. I would consider just what you excpect to have if you choose to refurbish the 6100. How much are you willing to refurbish? Are you just talking about changing out a few old caps, cleaning the pots and switches and connectors and calling it quits? Then you'll still essentially have a thirty year old amplifier. Not that a thirty year old Mac is not a very good amplifier, but it is a thirty year old amplifier none the less. Music has not changed its essential qualities in thirty years so the Mac will still be true to the music. Refurbishing the Mac will be far less expensive an affair - even at the most extreme - than buying the Parasound. If you are dedicated to spending a good chunk of cash, I would consider first a more lateral move to the new Mac integrated amplifier to simply replace what you have with a newer version of what I assume to be sound you already like. If you make the move to the Parasound, I can't be certain, but I would suggest you will very likely be considering new speakers before the year's end. Possibly a whole new approach to reproduced sound is what you're looking for? Why did you settle on the Parasound? . |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 2178 Registered: Feb-07 | I know nothing about Parasound, but wouldn't this be a step backwards from a Mac? |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 13376 Registered: May-04 | . I guess that would be open to interpretation. The Halo line has received excellent reviews, all ranking the John Curl designs as bargain basement high end. http://search.yahoo.com/search?ei=utf-8&fr=slv8-hptb5&p=parasound%20halo%20p3&ty pe= The Halo line as a whole is still considered (in every review I've seen of the gear) to be a bit toppy and ever so slightly lightweight in ultimate resolution. I would say you either want this sort of sound or you are trying a BandAid approach by adding the Parasound to an overly "warm" system. The LaScalas would not present, IMO, an overly warm sound. The Halos' greatest strengths, from what I can make out, are the extremely "black backgrounds" (something probably lacking in a thirty year old amplifier paired with the high sensitivity Klipsch speakers) and therefore excellent fine detail retrieval along with its precision in soundstaging and overall "presence". Other than the "presence" factor, my opinion would be the LaScalas do not hit the highest marks in any of the other areas where the Parasound excels. However, when you start with a 104dB sensitivity speaker system you can easily appreciate an extremely quiet ampifier. No doubt the Parasound would play to the benefit of the Klipsch in this respect though the high power of the Parasound would go untapped with the LaScala. You could easily run the LaScala off a 5 watt SET amplifier and do just fine - actually Paul Klipsch's famous quote reads to the effect of; "What this country needs is a good five watt amplfier." That's what the LaScalas were designed around way back when. . |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 2179 Registered: Feb-07 | You don't need a lot of watts with a 105 db speakers. Here's a 5 watt tube amp. Doubt it's a GOOD 5 watt amp, but it would be fun to check out: http://www.audio-magus.com/glow_amp_one_p/gla2.htm |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 13378 Registered: May-04 | . IMO the Glow amp is not a good amp. I've written about my days with the amp in both my system and up in MW's system. It's not worth the money compared to buying a decent amp. . |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 2181 Registered: Feb-07 | I seem to remember now you saying you owned it for awhile. Any thoughts on the v2 of the amp? They're charging 200 bucks more for it. It's gotta be better, right? lol. |
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Platinum Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 13379 Registered: May-04 | . I haven't heard it. The whole concept of single ended pentodes is a bit odd to me. Why pentodes? Why waste half the tube? IMO there's more marketing than industry at play. And if that d@mn vc ring still changes colors like a 1960's lava lamp, I'm still not interested. That BS is annoying even if the amp sounded better than it did. Give it a try, Dave, and report your findings. Glow told me I was the only person to ever return their amp. And I was impressed (for the most part) with their customer service when I made the return. I was left unimpressed by their lack of specifications or technical information regarding the most basic operating details such as output impedance or wattage @ "X" T.H.D. I think they are vastly overstating the available power from this amplifier since my supposedly equal power T amp played louder, cleaner and better than the Glow amp could manage with any speaker I had available. . |
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Gold Member Username: DmitchellOttawa, Ontario Canada Post Number: 2184 Registered: Feb-07 | I think I read on the AudioMagus forums that the glowing ring can be turned off. From reading in the forums as well it seemed a lot of people were not happy with the onboard DAC, and the amp was quite bass-shy (granted this was the previous version). I doubt you are the only person to ever return the amp. I'd like to give the new version a try. If anything, it would probably make a cool headphone amp for my office. |