volume motor noise feedback in speaker

[ematthews]

Thanks RichB. I'm learning everyday. Just hope I can retain all the info.

 

[Barry Wingate]

Gentlemen,
A newby here with a one year old NOISY P5..... I've written to Richard at Parasound and will let you know the outcome.

 

[Barry Wingate]

My current lineup: Parasound P5, A21, T3, Oppo 105, modded Polk SDA SRS, LG 4K 3D TV.

 

[RichB]

My current lineup: Parasound P5, A21, T3, Oppo 105, modded Polk SDA SRS, LG 4K 3D TV.

Holy crap, I just googled those speakers.
Clearly you do not need bass-management.

If you decide to replace, I use the Oppo HA-1 as my two channel preamp/DAC and it sounds fantastic. My BDP-105D is routed through the XLR in bypass mode.

- Rich

 

[Barry Wingate]

Hi RichB,
I was using the Oppo 105 (international version, plays anything from anywhere) directly into the A21 until the P5 arrived and it sounded great to me, so much so that I began to wonder why I needed a preamp. The SDA's are simply an old man's fantasy, I know there are probably better out there, particulary from England, (I'm a Brit). I couldn't afford anything nice for the longest time, an out-of-work single father with two kids. But now I figured I'd buy the old dream and fully mod them with new "Monastery" crossovers from vr3mods. And I'm happy, not likely to change anything before the grim reaper comes calling.

So Richard (Richard Schram Parasound CEO) did write back to me:

"We received a few reports of P 5 volume controls making a slight noise when adjusting volume:
a) at higher volume levels
b) and playing music that contains heavy bass content
We can change the volume control for you. Please call our tech dept at 415 397 7100 x120"

I must say mine is very noisy at any volume, like an old radio, but this will be fixed I hope before Christmas.
Which reminds me Happy Holidays everyone!

 

[RichB]

So Richard (Richard Schram Parasound CEO) did write back to me:

"We received a few reports of P 5 volume controls making a slight noise when adjusting volume:
a) at higher volume levels
b) and playing music that contains heavy bass content
We can change the volume control for you. Please call our tech dept at 415 397 7100 x120"

I must say mine is very noisy at any volume, like an old radio, but this will be fixed I hope before Christmas.
Which reminds me Happy Holidays everyone!

Richard's company provides great support. I'd definitely get it fixed.

Some feel the BDP-105 works best with a preamp but that may be amp dependent. It certainly works very well with Halo amps.

- Rich

 

[Dkudo]

Hi, new member here. I'm also having the same volume noise with the p5. I bought a new p5 and a21 alittle over a month ago. First p5 got noisy about a week after I got it and progressively got worse, I sent it back after 3 weeks and got a replacement unit. Well, this one is now starting to make the same static noise as the previous one did after just two days. I'll be emailing parasound again but at this point Im thinking there is a design flaw with the p5 or a batch of faulty parts. Other than the volume noise I was happy with it. Now I need to find a pre amp that sounds as good or better, one with good tone controls that mates well with the a21. I have in mind cambridge 851e, musical fidelity m6, vincent hybred or possibly just going with a mcintosh. I really don't want to spend a lot more than what I paid for the p5 but hearing static every time I adjust the volume just ruins the experience. Anyone have any suggestions on a preamp with tone controls that is otherwise as good or better than the p5 for around 2k, give or take alittle?

 

[TLS Guy]

Hi, new member here. I'm also having the same volume noise with the p5. I bought a new p5 and a21 alittle over a month ago. First p5 got noisy about a week after I got it and progressively got worse, I sent it back after 3 weeks and got a replacement unit. Well, this one is now starting to make the same static noise as the previous one did after just two days. I'll be emailing parasound again but at this point Im thinking there is a design flaw with the p5 or a batch of faulty parts. Other than the volume noise I was happy with it. Now I need to find a pre amp that sounds as good or better, one with good tone controls that mates well with the a21. I have in mind cambridge 851e, musical fidelity m6, vincent hybred or possibly just going with a mcintosh. I really don't want to spend a lot more than what I paid for the p5 but hearing static every time I adjust the volume just ruins the experience. Anyone have any suggestions on a preamp with tone controls that is otherwise as good or better than the p5 for around 2k, give or take alittle?

What are your requirements in a preamp? In other words what facilities do you need?

The problem with the P5 is that it has an analog volume control in this day and age to assuage the audiophools.

I wrote this post on the topic of preamps a few days ago.

 

[ematthews]

Emotiva has a preamp just like the P5 and sounds just as clean.

 

[Ace Deprave]

Hi, new member here. I'm also having the same volume noise with the p5. I bought a new p5 and a21 alittle over a month ago. First p5 got noisy about a week after I got it and progressively got worse, I sent it back after 3 weeks and got a replacement unit. Well, this one is now starting to make the same static noise as the previous one did after just two days. I'll be emailing parasound again but at this point Im thinking there is a design flaw with the p5 or a batch of faulty parts. Other than the volume noise I was happy with it. Now I need to find a pre amp that sounds as good or better, one with good tone controls that mates well with the a21. I have in mind cambridge 851e, musical fidelity m6, vincent hybred or possibly just going with a mcintosh. I really don't want to spend a lot more than what I paid for the p5 but hearing static every time I adjust the volume just ruins the experience. Anyone have any suggestions on a preamp with tone controls that is otherwise as good or better than the p5 for around 2k, give or take alittle?

I sent my P5 in to Parasound last week with this issue. Hopefully, they have figured out what the root cause of the issue is, and the fix is a permanent one. Time will tell. Hopefully, I'll get it back this week.

 

[Dkudo]

What are your requirements in a preamp? In other words what facilities do you need?

The problem with the P5 is that it has an analog volume control in this day and age to assuage the audiophools.

I wrote this post on the topic of preamps a few days ago.

TLS,

My requirements are fairly simple. I only use my system for very loud 2 chan listening with cd player, I don't need phono, dac, or HT. I want good tone controls, tone defeat, adjustable volume by remote, Ability to run 2 amplifiers. XLR would be nice but not a deal breaker.

Out of the box the p5 sounded great but after the static from the volume control got worse over time it lost ALOT of dynamics, the bass got awful. I have an a21 and Cornscala's, this system absolutely pounded crystal clear at concert levels when the pre amp was working properly. I'm mystified as to how or why the dynamics where lost when the p5 got noisy, but it did. As soon as I got the 2nd p5 it sounded great again. Now this one is doing the same. A 3rd p5 that's being quality tested before being sent out will be on its way soon. If this one doesn't work out then I'll have no choice but to find another. I think the p5 needs a recall and the volume controls overhauled completely. Call it P5 gen 2, charge more for it if need be but this current disign is fatally flawed. I'll give it one more go around with the one being checked before shipping but it takes many volume adjustments for this to become noticable and just get worse with time. I doubt the testing will show the same result as real everyday use as it takes time for this problem to manifest.

I haven't had much time to research but the vincent sa31mk looks interesting. I know I could probably just throw money at a mcintosh and be happy but that's a lot of $ for a preamp. I'd like to find something as good or better as the p5 sound wise without the issues for around 2k give or take alittle if that's possible.

 

[ellbunda]

I have the same problem. He has twice been under repair for exchange vol pot. After second repair and replacement new vol pot from parasound and After a month the same problem with the P 5 volume control is back. It's a big problem with this preamplifier. I am very very disappointed. Leave again to repair or return?

 

[Dkudo]

Definitely return it. My 3rd replacement p5 took them over a month to send me a "quality tested unit" let me put it this way, the first p5 I sent back with the static issue sounded better than the quality tested unit by far. my 20 year old Harmon Kardon reciever sounded much better. I had to crank the volume to atleast 70% for the bass to catch up to the higher frequencies, zero sound stage and the vocals sounded like a karaoke machine. Yes parasound did try 3 times and paid for shipping but in the end I was only given the option for a return credit from my dealer. I didn't like that and I'm done with brick and mortar stores because the ones around here will not give 30 day returns, they get you on the hook and just keep taking money.

I bought a mcintosh c50 and it's great. The bass is 100 times better, sound stage from floor to ceiling and as wide as my 22x21 room. I would run away from that p5 as fast as you can, my system was down for over 2 months and they had 3 chances to get it right, imo they are incapable of fixing it. The 3rd unit sounded so bad it was awful. If you send that back they are going to change the volume part out and it's going to re voice the sound of that pre amp, there is another thread where this happened to someone else on there 3rd "quality tested" unit. Ya sure the static was gone but the sound quality was gone too. If you can spend more on a pre amp I'd suggest a mcintosh c48 or c50. I think you can get a new c48 for alittle over 3k. I paid 4200 for my c50 new, and it was worth it. My system sounds 100 times better. I'm now a firm believer that the pre amp is possibly the most critical part of a hi end sound system.

Good luck.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I think Parasound should give everyone who purchased this preamp from an authorized dealer a full refund for this fiasco. Or give customers the P7 at no extra charge.

 

[Cos]

I think Parasound should give everyone who purchased this preamp from an authorized dealer a full refund for this fiasco. Or give customers the P7 at no extra charge.

I am just really surprised that have not even attempted to correct this issue on future revisions and it is still presenting a problem. Granted I am sure they are not selling thousands of these at a time. I think Parasound is a great company with excellent support, but there is just no excuse for this.

 

[slipperybidness]

I am just really surprised that have not even attempted to correct this issue on future revisions and it is still presenting a problem. Granted I am sure they are not selling thousands of these at a time. I think Parasound is a great company with excellent support, but there is just no excuse for this.

Agreed!

And, it really is a shame because I like Parasound in general, but this fiasco is making it harder and harder to rec a new Parasound product.

If they can't get it right, then they just need to stop production, retire the model!

Similar to how Emotiva killed the XDA-1 after the digital volume control issue came to light.

 

[Dkudo]

+1^

The customer service was excellent BUT I'd rather have a reliable product than good CS. I imagine it is costing them alot to keep shipping things back and forth. I'm in Maine so I know it wasn't cheap. Probably be cheaper to just update the p5 entirely because i believe the problem is more than just the volume pot, or remove the halo tag and put it in the bargin bin. I bet the new integrated will have similar issues.

 

[slipperybidness]

+1^

The customer service was excellent BUT I'd rather have a reliable product than good CS. I imagine it is costing them alot to keep shipping things back and forth. I'm in Maine so I know it wasn't cheap. Probably be cheaper to just update the p5 entirely because i believe the problem is more than just the volume pot, or remove the halo tag and put it in the bargin bin. I bet the new integrated will have similar issues.

From what we've seen and heard (take the rumors for rumors for now), it really seems to be an issue with the Alps Motorized Pots.

So, seems to be a supplier issue, and not necessarily a Parasound issue. The real test would be to get a different product using the same Alps Pots and see if the problem is there too.

But, dang, Alps are supposed to be king of the hill!

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Agreed!

And, it really is a shame because I like Parasound in general, but this fiasco is making it harder and harder to rec a new Parasound product.

If they can't get it right, then they just need to stop production, retire the model!

Similar to how Emotiva killed the XDA-1 after the digital volume control issue came to light.

Any potential Parasound customer would be reticent of buying ANY Parasound product after reading this thread for sure.

Has anyone sent Parasound a link to this thread?

 

[highfigh]

I think Parasound should give everyone who purchased this preamp from an authorized dealer a full refund for this fiasco. Or give customers the P7 at no extra charge.

What about those who haven't experienced this? Should they get a refund or the upgrade? You want to penalize (and possibly kill) them for the problems caused by a parts supplier?