Best amplifier for the price?

[lovinthehd]

Just a little warmer of a sound. My friend has a rotel amp that we tried at my house and it was rated at 350w and for some reason it made my speakers "sing" with more bass, where when i switched back to the parasound it sounded like it was lacking that bass.

That doesn't sound too likely to be actually happening. Was it a level matched blinded test (and quick switching between)? Have you tried using equalization to address the boost in bass you want?

 

[Hunter21]

That doesn't sound too likely to be actually happening. Was it a level matched blinded test (and quick switching between)? Have you tried using equalization to address the boost in bass you want?

I really think thats what I have to do, but ARC already has a tough time with my room, and its just hard to get rid of the upgrade bug lol.

 

[mtrycrafts]

I really think thats what I have to do, but ARC already has a tough time with my room, and its just hard to get rid of the upgrade bug lol.

Unfortunately, the room is the greater driver of sound quality, not an amp.

 

[MrBoat]

Best cure for upgraditus is assembling a different system, instead of just throwing different money at the same one. There is no rule that states we can't have multiple, different type systems for different desires.

My cure comes by way of a powerful main system for sheer power and ultimate performance, and some potent portable and super-potent 2.1 desktop/near field systems to play with. Now when I feel the need to upgrade, I just plug something else in that hands my hat to me in some other way.

 

[ban25]

Just a little warmer of a sound. My friend has a rotel amp that we tried at my house and it was rated at 350w and for some reason it made my speakers "sing" with more bass, where when i switched back to the parasound it sounded like it was lacking that bass, almost like a high pass filter

You literally just need to adjust the tone controls to add a few dB of bass. The only reason to upgrade is features/capabilities. Never buy equipment to chase a "sound."

 

[ban25]

Also, I would never replace a Parasound A21 with anything from Rotel (nothing against them, just not in the same tier).

 

[lovinthehd]

Are you using a sub/subs?

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Also, I would never replace a Parasound A21 with anything from Rotel (nothing against them, just not in the same tier).

Just for fun, how would you define/label these tiers?

Pro amps from Crown, Yamaha, QSC. Emotiva, Outlaw, Monoprice, all the recent class D amp companies, ATI, Parasound, Rotel, Anthem, Bryston, McIntosh, NAD?

 

[ban25]

Just for fun, how would you define/label these tiers?

Pro amps from Crown, Yamaha, QSC. Emotiva, Outlaw, Monoprice, all the recent class D amp companies, ATI, Parasound, Rotel, Anthem, Bryston, McIntosh, NAD?

Probably something like McIntosh > Michi > Parasound JC > NAD M > Parasound A > ATI > Rotel

Lot of room for things to move around there but ultimately, at the high-end, it's mostly about brand, fit & finish, and resale value.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Probably something like McIntosh > Michi > Parasound JC > NAD M > Parasound A > ATI > Rotel

Lot of room for things to move around there but ultimately, at the high-end, it's mostly about brand, fit & finish, and resale value.

I think most people would define them based on their cost.

Some might define based on aesthetics and popularity.

Some would define based on measurements.

Maybe how long the company has been around and their warranty period.

 

[Eppie]

I really think thats what I have to do, but ARC already has a tough time with my room, and its just hard to get rid of the upgrade bug lol.

I'm surprised that the 3F has such a rise in response above 5k from the posted graph. I would find that speaker rather fatiguing for long listening sessions. That could also come across to some as having weak bass. Others have asked, but are you using subwoofers? I would tone down the highs with some EQ and then either add a couple subs or if you have them maybe play with the crossover setting to see what appeals to you. With such a big investment in gear you should consider getting a measurement microphone like a Umik-1 and using a Room EQ Wizard (REW) software to analyze what's happening in the room. With that information you can take a more practical analytical approach to any sound issues you think you have. That Parasound should be more than capable of driving those speakers.

 

[squared80]

www.buckeyeamp.com