Another option to consider
View attachment 39346
Parasound a23+
I was never been impressed with their low power Halo amps and this + version has not changed my mind. Imo, and I know I am not alone on this, subjective reviews of owners and professional reviewers should be read with a grain of salt, or to be more blunt, just for fun. The SoudStage review linked below is a good example, the reviewer was comparing it with NAD integrated amp when he blurb out those typical/laughable buzzword (highly recommended for a good laugh, so
@lovinthehd ,
@AcuDefTechGuy please read if not yet and give me some feedback..
. Back to the real world, if you examine the bench test results, you would, like me, conclude that there isn't much to write home about, even just by comparing the results in the key areas such as THD+N, IMD and power output to those of a lowly AVR-X3600H or even the SR6014.
Review (the subjective blablabla part)...
Measurements:
www.soundstagenetwork.com
So for someone looking for an amp to work with a mid range AVR, I would recommend they bite the bullet and go with something more powerful, such as the A21+, MCA225, or Monolith 200WX2, Outlaw M2220. Why spend $1,500 to gain 1 dB or less over an AVR-X3600H, RX-A1080 or SR6014? Yes, the Parasound would likely used negative feedback more lightly, if one wants to justify the bench test results not being better thatn the AVRs mentioned. Keep in mind though, even to the not too technically informed audiophiles, they should know by now, like the often overrated TIM and DF, the exaggerated -ve effects of the so called excessive -ve feedback have been debunked by audio amp specialists such as Bruno Putzeys.
For people who are not looking for very high power separates though, I would consider the A23+ a viable choice based on specs, measurements and price, and for someone who likes the unusual Halo style, the look.
