Parasound 2250v2 -- 275wpc Stereo Power Amp - was $1395, now $999 -- Good deal?

[Forsooth]

The Parasound 2250 V.2 "new classic" -- 275wpc Stereo Power Amp is ON SALE for $999, down from $1395. Is this a good deal? The amp came out around 2008 (?) but has been updated with a few new features, ca. 2014 (?). Thanks.

 

[2channel lover]

The Parasound 2250 V.2 "new classic" -- 275wpc Stereo Power Amp is ON SALE for $999, down from $1395. Is this a good deal? The amp came out around 2008 (?) but has been updated with a few new features, ca. 2014 (?). Thanks.

New in the box...sweet deal...if you're in the market, jump on it.

 

[lovinthehd]

If you think it's a good deal....to me $1k for 2ch of 275wpc is too expensive, rather go with a Crown XLS1502 for a third of that. YMMV

 

[slipperybidness]

If you think it's a good deal....to me $1k for 2ch of 275wpc is too expensive, rather go with a Crown XLS1502 for a third of that. YMMV

If you "buy it by the pound" it doesn't seem too bad of a cost

 

[2channel lover]

If you think it's a good deal....to me $1k for 2ch of 275wpc is too expensive, rather go with a Crown XLS1502 for a third of that. YMMV

Adding in Crown changes the game a bit, but relative to the retail price of a 2250 v2...$1k is a good deal.

 

[lovinthehd]

Adding in Crown changes the game a bit, but relative to the retail price of a 2250 v2...$1k is a good deal.

It just depends what you want out of it, aesthetically and feature-wise aside from specs. Simply as a power amp I just find the Crown a better value.

 

[2channel lover]

It just depends what you want out of it, aesthetically and feature-wise aside from specs. Simply as a power amp I just find the Crown a better value.

Much better value $ spent vs performance.

I'm not sure what's drawing the OP to Parasound, but he does seem to be seeking value on some level.

 

[lovinthehd]

I'm not sure why he's looking at such a powerful amp with Klipsch Forte speakers as well....

 

[Forsooth]

New in the box...sweet deal...if you're in the market, jump on it.

Thanks. I called the seller and, yes, the amps are new in the box. However, in spite of the savings, I'm still on the fence about another product, a Parasound Halo amp that I've been contemplating...and contemplating...

I've heard good things about the Crown amps, but I think it is a Class D amp and I don't know enough to be an informed buyer. For example, digital control vs analog control, distortion introduced and then filtered out, etc. I'm lost in those discussions. Whereas Class A/B was grandma's amp and, like her recipes, still good.

 

[Forsooth]

I'm not sure why he's looking at such a powerful amp with Klipsch Forte speakers as well....

Owww...that hurt. Yes, my old mid-80s Klipsch Fortes (perfect condition, not a scratch, walnut-veneered corners as sharp as ever, still with the pass-inspection stickers on the back with original signatures of the inspector and the tester) are rated at 96dB for 1 watt. I know that anything above a 3 watt amp can power them.

Just found this on Amazon. 134 reviews, 4.5 average rating. $60, less 5% special offer. 50wX2. So, if I spend anything above $55, I'm wasting my money.

 

[lovinthehd]

Owww...that hurt. Yes, my old mid-80s Klipsch Fortes (perfect condition, not a scratch, walnut-veneered corners as sharp as ever, still with the pass-inspection stickers on the back with original signatures of the inspector and the tester) are rated at 96dB for 1 watt. I know that anything above a 3 watt amp can power them.

Just found this on Amazon. 134 reviews, 4.5 average rating. $60, less 5% special offer. 50wX2. So, if I spend anything above $55, I'm wasting my money.

What hurts? Your ears might with more than a coupla watts....

Some of those cheap mini amps are quite good, tho I've not heard of Fosi Audio before (but their website says in one of their units they have adopt "Maraniz" HDAM circuits!); I picked up a Lepai 2020+ for fun a while back and it's fine for what it is, am sure your Klipsch would sound fine on them altho may be a bit spl limited depending on your tastes. Just depends what you need. If you want to spend $1k on a power amp for whatever reasons, go for it. You're overthinking the class D thing IMO, having used a variety of A/B amps and the Crown XLS Drivecores.....

What are you using for preamp? Personally I'd just get an avr and have bass management/dac/pre-amp/amp all in one....

 

[2channel lover]

Thanks. I called the seller and, yes, the amps are new in the box. However, in spite of the savings, I'm still on the fence about another product, a Parasound Halo amp that I've been contemplating...and contemplating...

I've heard good things about the Crown amps, but I think it is a Class D amp and I don't know enough to be an informed buyer. For example, digital control vs analog control, distortion introduced and then filtered out, etc. I'm lost in those discussions. Whereas Class A/B is grandma's amp and, like her recipes, still good.

Yeah...I like my power amps.

I have not heard the Crown Amp, but they have enough support and end user reviews that it wouldn't bother me to have an entire system powered by Crown amps...I love my mono blocks, but I could've gone with Crowns and built a rack in the HVAC closet.

I've heard the JC1 mono, the A21...my Outlaw MB2200s are class A/B and G...I'm not sure what your objectives are with the amp, but the SQ margins were surprisingly pretty thin from the A21 to JC1. Not really an A/B comparison, but after living with my MB2200s for a yr...I don't think I'd ever spend $8,000 on 2 MB amps.

 

[CB22]

You Klipsch Forte's WOW... Impressive. If I were you I would check the return policy on both of them. If the return policy permits, I'd buy them both the Parasound and the Crown XLS. Have a friend come over a blind test on the amps listing to the same songs on each amp. What ever you think sounds better keep it and return the other one. Do you really need all that power? Probably not but hey it never hearts to have extra watts available.

In a couple years I would like to buy a pair of the Philharmonic audio's Phil 3's and pair it with some high-end electronics. I want to do a blind test on electronics and see if I can hear a differences between, separates vs integrated amps vs mono blocks. I know not all amps sound the same but once you go into higher end gear I'd be curious to try to find differences between amps. I think it can some times be mental thing... eg. just because it costs more it must sound better. So BLIND TEST away.

At the end of the day, it's really all about what you think sounds better.

 

[Forsooth]

What hurts? Your ears might with more than a coupla watts....
What are you using for preamp? Personally I'd just get an avr and have dac/pre-amp/amp all in one....

I've only got the Fortes...no electronics except $99 Logitech desktop speakers with a little sub..
I am thinking of pairing the Parasound Halo A23 with the Parasound Halo P-5 preamlifier
I am also thinking of buying the Yamaha A-S801.
I am also thinking of buying 2 RSL 10" subs. Yes I know the Fortes have quite good bass extension.
I am also thinking of sticking with the Logitechs and forgetting about all this other stuff.

 

[2channel lover]

You Klipsch Forte's WOW... Impressive. If I were you I would check the return policy on both of them. If the return policy permits, I'd buy them both the Parasound and the Crown XLS. Have a friend come over a blind test on the amps listing to the same songs on each amp. What ever you think sounds better keep it and return the other one. Do you really need all that power? Probably not but hey it never hearts to have extra watts available.

In a couple years I would like to buy a pair of the Philharmonic audio's Phil 3's and pair it with some high-end electronics. I want to do a blind test on electronics and see if I can hear a differences between, separates vs integrated amps vs mono blocks. I know not all amps sound the same but once you go into higher end gear I'd be curious to try to find differences between amps. I think it can some times be mental thing... eg. just because it costs more it must sound better. So BLIND TEST away.

At the end of the day, it's really all about what you think sounds better.

I've heard a lot of powerful, expensive amps, Krell, McIntosh, Parasound...I'm not going to say they all sound the same, but I will say the SQ improvement might not marry up with the price...in fact they probably won't.

Your idea of the Phil 3s in the future...now you're talking about potential SQ improvement.

 

[lovinthehd]

I've only got the Fortes...no electronics except $99 Logitech desktop speakers with a little sub..
I am thinking of pairing the Parasound Halo A23 with the Parasound Halo P-5 preamlifier
I am also thinking of buying the Yamaha A-S801.
I am also thinking of buying 2 RSL 10" subs. Yes I know the Fortes have quite good bass extension.
I am also thinking of sticking with the Logitechs and forgetting about all this other stuff.

If planning on subs, and the Forte's can use help there IMO, I'd get something for bass management. Not even the A801 can do that (it has a subwoofer pre-out and fixed low pass for the sub only). I'd still get the avr to at least try first. The RSLs are good value by all reports, tho.

 

[Forsooth]

You Klipsch Forte's WOW... Impressive. Have a friend come over a blind test on the amps listing to the same songs on each amp. What ever you think sounds better keep it and return the other one....<snip>...At the end of the day, it's really all about what you think sounds better.

I was "joke-bragging" about the Fortes. They're just well-kept older speakers. I hope they still work.

I'll admit I am a but shy about ordering multiple products to A/B them. Right now, I'm just going on hunches based on as much review information as I can gather, both professional and amateur. My intention is to build up a "belief and trust" system based on the consensus of the available information. IOW, "I believe this product will be great because I trust what my sources have said."

And you're right, I don't need the watts, BUT I do appreciate the comfort zone and I've read several times that speakers are more often harmed by clipping produced by amps which lack the ability to produce the dynamic range of the source.

 

[Forsooth]

If planning on subs, and the Forte's can use help there IMO, I'd get something for bass management. Not even the A801 can do that (it has a subwoofer pre-out and fixed low pass for the sub only). I'd still get the avr to at least try first. The RSLs are good value by all reports, tho.

Yes, just what I was thinking...Here is a small section from the P-5 preamp manual, showing the bass handling controls on the rear of the preamp. (There much more explanation included in the manual.)

 

[CB22]

I was "joke-bragging" about the Fortes. They're just well-kept older speakers. I hope they still work.

I'll admit I am a but shy about ordering multiple products to A/B them. Right now, I'm just going on hunches based on as much review information as I can gather, both professional and amateur. My intention is to build up a "belief and trust" factor based on the consensus of the available information. IOW, "I believe this product will be great because I trust what my sources have said."

And you're right, I don't need the watts, BUT I do appreciate the comfort zone and I've read several times that speakers are more often harmed by clipping produced by amps which lack the ability to produce the dynamic range of the source.

Don’t be shy about ordering. Just call ahead about the return policy. Maybe even tell em you plan on blind testing especially if your using the same site to order on. Probably very hard to clip klipsch speakers without hearing damage but extra headroom never hurts.

FYI I’ve bought my HSU sub based off the trust factor that you’re talking about on the forums and I absolutely love it. It has some nice settings so that I could easily pair it with any speakers. Don’t forget high end and subs offen have built-in crossovers that you can manually adjust.

 

[lovinthehd]

Yes, just what I was thinking...Here is a small section from the P-5 preamp manual, showing the bass handling controls on the rear of the preamp. (There much more explanation included in the manual.)
View attachment 24451

Better xover, but I'd still rather ability to adjust delay as well.