parasound halo a52

[blaster27]

Getting a parasound halo a52 next week.thinking of paring it with my yamaha v863 reciever.My speakers are klipsch ref 62's.Or would I be better off getting a processor? A friend suggested pairing the halo with an anthem mrx 300 reciever.Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[agarwalro]

Unless you opt for a process that has better Auto EQ, there is not much to be gained by getting rid of the Yammy.

 

[blaster27]

I was thinking of going with the anthem mrx 300 as its said to have an exelent eq set up.Thanks for your reply.

 

[agarwalro]

A receiver is a pre-pro with built in amp. If getting the Halo A52 is a given, pair it with a dedicated pre-pro like the D2. As it happens, there is a D2 in the classifieds here,

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/classifieds-sell-your-gear/76336-anthem-d2v.html

 

[blaster27]

$ is a factor, as 5500. is too rich for me. The anthem srx300 is 1k and has arc room correction,this is a little complicated.the pre amp for sale is a very attractive piece. does anyone know if the arc room correction is as good as they say???? Thanks again, Mike

 

[agarwalro]

I am not sure if the MRX300 or SRX receivers get the ARC Advanced version or a dummed down "auto eq". The ARC Advanced is much more involved than any auto eq, with its PC interface, FR plots and the works. Here is a review of the ARC Advanced Software that ships (or retrofits) with the D2, Anthem Room Correction (ARC) for the Anthem D1 and D2 SSP.

All that said, I have no idea how ARC implemented in the MRX/SRX receivers compares to Audessy in Denons or YAPO in Yammahas. The best I can offer is a quote from this thread, http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=800939

The crux of the matter,

Thanks 3db, my Yamaha sounds really good right now but, I was told that the sound quality will improve by going with the 300, is this true?

Appropriately responded with,

Who told you that the sound would improve? The thing is that there many a audiophile out there who automatically assume that a boutique brand will sound better then your standard consumer brand...such as the case we have here. Anthem makes excellent products but so does Yamaha. The pre-amps in both are very good, so good that you would not hear a difference between the two in a DBT. The specs may be better on the Yamaha than the Anthem but even the Anthems specs are so far below the point of being audable that it becomes a moot point. What it comes down to is ARC verses YPAO. ARC is better than YPAO but like I said before, I have a receiver with YPAO and I'm very pleased with the results. If you're happy with your Yamaha, save your money for a speaker upgrade, display upgrade, subwoofer upgrade, room acoustic upgrades or more music/Blu Rays. If it ain't broke, don't look to fix it.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Getting a parasound halo a52 next week.thinking of paring it with my yamaha v863 reciever.My speakers are klipsch ref 62's.Or would I be better off getting a processor? A friend suggested pairing the halo with an anthem mrx 300 reciever.Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. Thanks.

Let me ask you why the upgrade to that Parasound amp? The Klipsch is 97dB sensitive.

 

[PENG]

I agree with 3 dB. As good as Anthem is, I am not sure if they have the research capability and the pool of talents that Yamaha or Audyssey has. I highly doubt their ARC is better than Yamaha's latest YPAO or Denon's Audyssey.

My bet is on the MRX300 won't sound better to you in a blind test, let alone a properly conducted double blind test. If you are serious about going separate, then spend a little more and get a AV7005. If for some reason you prefer to use a receiver as a prepro, then I think the Denon AVR4311 is a much better deal than the Anthem, again for just a little more. If I remember right, someone was able to get one for $1499 shipped, so by now there should be even better deals especially with the higher USD.

 

[blaster27]

halo

klipsch 97 db sensitive. My yamaha has 105 w.vs 125 w, at 30 amps on the parasound. I would rather have separates than a receiver at this point just to see and hear the difference. As i understand separates can have a better BEEF and finesse to them. I went with Parasound because they have a good reputation, thx cert, john Curl, And I cannot afford Macintosh.I hope The Parasound will out perform my Yamaha receiver. My next step is what will I use to control it???Pre pro's are big$$$ and are obsolete before you know it.A receiver not so much. As you can just get another one for 1k. Any thoughts on this?? Thanks, Mike. Also I am amazed at how much you all know about this subject, as i am still learning. Thanks.Mike.

 

[agarwalro]

I hope The Parasound will out perform my Yamaha receiver.

It sure will, but you will be hard pressed to notice any difference because the Klipsch are not taxing the Yamaha amps. A speaker's nominal impedance (Ohm rating) and sensitivity (dB/W rating) together help determine how difficult they are to drive or how beefy your amp needs to be. In the grand scheme the Klipsch are on the easier side of things, which is why, even if there is imporovement on paper, the benefit will not be audible. Further, effects of room response will completely obfuscate any gains form switching the amps.

Pre pro's are big$$$ and are obsolete before you know it.A receiver not so much.

Actually both are as static or changing as the manufacturer chooses. Big manufacturers like Denon, Yamaha, Onkyo churn out receiver updates on a yearly basis. Not much changes untill a new generation brings new technology (like the generation that added HDMI, or the generation that added HD Audio processing). Displays, receivers or pre-pro's will get outdated sooner or later, that is just the nature of the beast. But, a set of accurate speakers, room treatments or a quality dedicated amp will never become obsolete.

 

[blaster27]

room treatments

what can i do about room treatments? Is that the same as room correction?EQ ect? Just wondering. Thanks, Mike

 

[agarwalro]

what can i do about room treatments? Is that the same as room correction?EQ ect? Just wondering. Thanks, Mike

The primary reason for justifying room treatments are, 1) some room effects cannot be fixed by signal processing 2) they reduce the amount of processing needed, thereby, allowing sound reproduction more faithful to the source information. Indeed, some of the most fanatical audio purists use zero processing and prefer to only control the room effects using treatments.

Room treatments are sound absorbers and diffusers. When these are strategically located in the room (for example, corners and wall intersections for bass traps, first reflection point for absorbers, ceiling and side wall for diffusers), they help control room acoustical issues before signal processing (Audessy/YAPO/etc.).

The concept can be applied in unobtrusive manners too. For example, if one has hardwood floors, simply placing a heavy carpet in front of the listening position will reduce sound reflected from the floor. Most likely this will lessens the treble. Also, if one has a large window, this can be covered with heavy drapes.

Real Traps has a bunch of instructional videos and this one covers the basics, RealTraps - How to Set Up a Room.

 

[ski2xblack]

Regarding room treatments

...The concept can be applied in unobtrusive manners too...

Very true. Furnishings, art, bookshelves, even houseplants can be used in strategic, stealthy ways that won't upset SWMBO. A nicely cluttered room often sounds pretty good.

 

[mtrycrafts]

klipsch 97 db sensitive. My yamaha has 105 w.vs 125 w, at 30 amps on the parasound. I would rather have separates than a receiver at this point just to see and hear the difference. As i understand separates can have a better BEEF and finesse to them. I went with Parasound because they have a good reputation, thx cert, john Curl, And I cannot afford Macintosh.I hope The Parasound will out perform my Yamaha receiver. My next step is what will I use to control it???Pre pro's are big$$$ and are obsolete before you know it.A receiver not so much. As you can just get another one for 1k. Any thoughts on this?? Thanks, Mike. Also I am amazed at how much you all know about this subject, as i am still learning. Thanks.Mike.

That 20 watt difference is less than 1 dB spl change, really not much at all.

Do you actually know how much John Curl contributed to the design of that amp? Just because he is associated with the company doesn't mean he designs all their amps. And, if you follow his posts at some of the web sites for the past 10 years or so, he has gone over to the dark side of the audio world.

 

[PENG]

klipsch 97 db sensitive. My yamaha has 105 w.vs 125 w, at 30 amps on the parasound. I would rather have separates than a receiver at this point just to see and hear the difference. As i understand separates can have a better BEEF and finesse to them. I went with Parasound because they have a good reputation, thx cert, john Curl, And I cannot afford Macintosh.I hope The Parasound will out perform my Yamaha receiver. My next step is what will I use to control it???Pre pro's are big$$$ and are obsolete before you know it.A receiver not so much. As you can just get another one for 1k. Any thoughts on this?? Thanks, Mike. Also I am amazed at how much you all know about this subject, as i am still learning. Thanks.Mike.

Don't forget that 30 amps on the parasound is peak current capbility, not continuous. Even the Yamaha 863 can put out decent peak currents, not 30A but probable 10 to 15. Have you considered a 2 or 3 channel amp to handle the big Klipsch fronts and center, leaving the minor duty of handling the much less demanding surround speakers to the internal amps of the Yammy? That way you can give the fronts 200 or more watts per channel. My point is, 125 Halo watts is not going to be much better than 100 Yamaha watts, but 250 Parasound (example: classic 2250 model) watts may yield an audible difference.

 

[blaster27]

halo a52

You were all correct on the halo, Not much sound difference in music,a lot in surround sound though. My next step are speakers. Thanx again,Mike

 

[agarwalro]

You were all correct on the halo, Not much sound difference in music,a lot in surround sound though.

Are you sure the surrounds are not running hotter than before? No reason why they should be any different if the Mains sound the same to you.

Re check the levels...