Parasound vs. Sunfire???
ParadigmDawg Audioholic Overlord Sep 21, 2007 #3 I think he just wanted pictures mankite said: Parasound vs. Sunfire??? Click to expand... Attachments primary_ampseriesII.jpg 18.5 KB Views: 622 front2205amp2.jpg 5.3 KB Views: 604
Seth=L Audioholic Overlord Sep 21, 2007 #4 Greg Gable said: I think he just wanted pictures Click to expand... Sunfire did away with the meter. Their stuff looks much cheaper (lower build quality) than they did before.
Greg Gable said: I think he just wanted pictures Click to expand... Sunfire did away with the meter. Their stuff looks much cheaper (lower build quality) than they did before.
E erick.s Junior Audioholic Sep 21, 2007 #5 I've owned amps from both companies - what's your question?
M mankite Enthusiast Sep 21, 2007 #6 I need a pre-pro and an amp. Parasound C2 and A51 or Sunfire TGP-5 and Tga-7400??
mtrycrafts Seriously, I have no life. Sep 21, 2007 #7 mankite said: I need a pre-pro and an amp. Parasound C2 and A51 or Sunfire TGP-5 and Tga-7400?? Click to expand... What are you lacking now? Or the issues? What is your setup like? 5.1? 2.0/2.1? Speakers? Movies, CDs, DVD or hidef, etc. But, they are both pretty good companies, or used to be.
mankite said: I need a pre-pro and an amp. Parasound C2 and A51 or Sunfire TGP-5 and Tga-7400?? Click to expand... What are you lacking now? Or the issues? What is your setup like? 5.1? 2.0/2.1? Speakers? Movies, CDs, DVD or hidef, etc. But, they are both pretty good companies, or used to be.
E erick.s Junior Audioholic Sep 22, 2007 #8 You can't really go wrong with either for amplification. My personal experience with the brands tells me that if you like extremely neutral sound, go with the Parasound. If you like your music/movies served up with a little bit of warmth and sweetness, go Sunfire. I prefer Sunfire but that's just me. At this point though, I don't think I'd go with either pre/pro you mentioned because neither has the most up to date decoding. In my own system I have a Sunfire Cinema Grand 200~7 and I have an Onkyo DTC-9.8 on order.
You can't really go wrong with either for amplification. My personal experience with the brands tells me that if you like extremely neutral sound, go with the Parasound. If you like your music/movies served up with a little bit of warmth and sweetness, go Sunfire. I prefer Sunfire but that's just me. At this point though, I don't think I'd go with either pre/pro you mentioned because neither has the most up to date decoding. In my own system I have a Sunfire Cinema Grand 200~7 and I have an Onkyo DTC-9.8 on order.
Seth=L Audioholic Overlord Sep 22, 2007 #9 erick.s said: You can't really go wrong with either for amplification. My personal experience with the brands tells me that if you like extremely neutral sound, go with the Parasound. If you like your music/movies served up with a little bit of warmth and sweetness, go Sunfire. I prefer Sunfire but that's just me. At this point though, I don't think I'd go with either pre/pro you mentioned because neither has the most up to date decoding. In my own system I have a Sunfire Cinema Grand 200~7 and I have an Onkyo DTC-9.8 on order. Click to expand... I agree with this post entirely (though the Sunfire has a switch that can put it into "neutral" mode). Companies like Sunfire and Parasound don't get the new tech as quickly as the bigger companies. Integra, Yamaha, Denon, Onkyo, Pioneer Elite, and Sherwood are the only companies that I know of that have HDMI 1.3 compatible receivers or processors. Parasound has an HDMI switching, and nothing else. The TGP 5 does have HDMI repeating, but not 1.3. It can process 7.1 audio from an HD DVD or Blu-ray player. The advantages to HDMI 1.3 have not yet been utilized.
erick.s said: You can't really go wrong with either for amplification. My personal experience with the brands tells me that if you like extremely neutral sound, go with the Parasound. If you like your music/movies served up with a little bit of warmth and sweetness, go Sunfire. I prefer Sunfire but that's just me. At this point though, I don't think I'd go with either pre/pro you mentioned because neither has the most up to date decoding. In my own system I have a Sunfire Cinema Grand 200~7 and I have an Onkyo DTC-9.8 on order. Click to expand... I agree with this post entirely (though the Sunfire has a switch that can put it into "neutral" mode). Companies like Sunfire and Parasound don't get the new tech as quickly as the bigger companies. Integra, Yamaha, Denon, Onkyo, Pioneer Elite, and Sherwood are the only companies that I know of that have HDMI 1.3 compatible receivers or processors. Parasound has an HDMI switching, and nothing else. The TGP 5 does have HDMI repeating, but not 1.3. It can process 7.1 audio from an HD DVD or Blu-ray player. The advantages to HDMI 1.3 have not yet been utilized.
M mankite Enthusiast Sep 22, 2007 #10 How come the parasound amp weighs so much more then the Sunfire??
E erick.s Junior Audioholic Sep 22, 2007 #11 RFor lack of a better term, the Sunfire is a digital amp - it runs cooler, thus doesn't need the huge, heavy heatsinks of other amps. Weight, in no way, should be used as an indicator of quality.
RFor lack of a better term, the Sunfire is a digital amp - it runs cooler, thus doesn't need the huge, heavy heatsinks of other amps. Weight, in no way, should be used as an indicator of quality.
Seth=L Audioholic Overlord Sep 22, 2007 #12 mankite said: How come the parasound amp weighs so much more then the Sunfire?? Click to expand... Larger power supply. The Tracking Downconverter amplifier in the Sunfire is more efficient and lighter than the Parasound. Bob Carver, the founder and principle designer of Sunfire, Carver, and Phase Linear, is a physics genius. It is sad that Bob isn't as smart with business as he is with electronics, because he could make a hefty fortune. I would do a google search on Tracking Downconverter amplifiers and see what you can turn up on them, as I know little about how or why they are more efficient but maintain linearity. My dad has a Cinema Grand 5 channel powering some Martin Logan ESLs and they are hard speakers to drive, from any aspect, and it drives them to insane levels of output without breaking a sweat. Last edited: Sep 22, 2007
mankite said: How come the parasound amp weighs so much more then the Sunfire?? Click to expand... Larger power supply. The Tracking Downconverter amplifier in the Sunfire is more efficient and lighter than the Parasound. Bob Carver, the founder and principle designer of Sunfire, Carver, and Phase Linear, is a physics genius. It is sad that Bob isn't as smart with business as he is with electronics, because he could make a hefty fortune. I would do a google search on Tracking Downconverter amplifiers and see what you can turn up on them, as I know little about how or why they are more efficient but maintain linearity. My dad has a Cinema Grand 5 channel powering some Martin Logan ESLs and they are hard speakers to drive, from any aspect, and it drives them to insane levels of output without breaking a sweat.
Seth=L Audioholic Overlord Sep 22, 2007 #13 erick.s said: RFor lack of a better term, the Sunfire is a digital amp - it runs cooler, thus doesn't need the huge, heavy heatsinks of other amps. Weight, in no way, should be used as an indicator of quality. Click to expand... RF? What is that? I am 80% certain the Sunfire is not Class D. Class D amplifiers are not as linear as Sunfire's offerings.
erick.s said: RFor lack of a better term, the Sunfire is a digital amp - it runs cooler, thus doesn't need the huge, heavy heatsinks of other amps. Weight, in no way, should be used as an indicator of quality. Click to expand... RF? What is that? I am 80% certain the Sunfire is not Class D. Class D amplifiers are not as linear as Sunfire's offerings.
Seth=L Audioholic Overlord Sep 22, 2007 #15 Adam said: It's a typo. Click to expand... http://www.audio-ideas.com/backiss/summer-1998/carver.html This is a most awesome read, I am going to start a thread on it. (it relates to Bob Carver's Tracking Downconverter design, magnificent)
Adam said: It's a typo. Click to expand... http://www.audio-ideas.com/backiss/summer-1998/carver.html This is a most awesome read, I am going to start a thread on it. (it relates to Bob Carver's Tracking Downconverter design, magnificent)
M mankite Enthusiast Sep 22, 2007 #16 I recently heard the phase tech darts system and the only complaint I had was it sounded a bit bright. That system came with a digital amp. Are digital amps usually brighter sounding?
I recently heard the phase tech darts system and the only complaint I had was it sounded a bit bright. That system came with a digital amp. Are digital amps usually brighter sounding?
wire Senior Audioholic Sep 22, 2007 #17 Seth=L said: RF? What is that? I am 80% certain the Sunfire is not Class D. Class D amplifiers are not as linear as Sunfire's offerings. Click to expand... I believe your right on this Seth . I own a Carver amp home and a Car , both use a Magnetic Field design for its power suppy , I believe the new Sunfires are more like the Carver Lightstars Amps designs .
Seth=L said: RF? What is that? I am 80% certain the Sunfire is not Class D. Class D amplifiers are not as linear as Sunfire's offerings. Click to expand... I believe your right on this Seth . I own a Carver amp home and a Car , both use a Magnetic Field design for its power suppy , I believe the new Sunfires are more like the Carver Lightstars Amps designs .
Seth=L Audioholic Overlord Sep 22, 2007 #18 mankite said: I recently heard the phase tech darts system and the only complaint I had was it sounded a bit bright. That system came with a digital amp. Are digital amps usually brighter sounding? Click to expand... Phase Tech is not associated with Bob Carver, that is Phase Linear, a company long since passed, as well as the original Carver brand. Class D amplifiers are good for subs, and that is about it. They do tend to be harsh and fake sounding to me. Never the less, the Sunfire is not Class D and you have no need to be concerned about that. FYI, Class D amplifiers are not digital, there is no such thing as a "digital" amplifier. Digital become tied with Class D for marketing reasons, even though they are not truely digital.
mankite said: I recently heard the phase tech darts system and the only complaint I had was it sounded a bit bright. That system came with a digital amp. Are digital amps usually brighter sounding? Click to expand... Phase Tech is not associated with Bob Carver, that is Phase Linear, a company long since passed, as well as the original Carver brand. Class D amplifiers are good for subs, and that is about it. They do tend to be harsh and fake sounding to me. Never the less, the Sunfire is not Class D and you have no need to be concerned about that. FYI, Class D amplifiers are not digital, there is no such thing as a "digital" amplifier. Digital become tied with Class D for marketing reasons, even though they are not truely digital.
Seth=L Audioholic Overlord Sep 22, 2007 #19 wire said: I believe your right on this Seth . I own a Carver amp home and a Car , both use a Magnetic Field design for its power suppy , I believe the new Sunfires are more like the Carver Lightstars Amps designs . Click to expand... The Tracking Downconverter amplifier design was a concept in Bob's head for some time, he just could find a way to make it work correctly until Sunfire. They use a smaller, but more effective power supply that produces minimal heat (the Sunfire amplifiers don't have heatsinks, or at least they didn't. They used the case to dissipate any heat, which was very low). It has almost all the benefits of any amplifier just not to the extreme points of different amplifier topologies, it is a very "well rounded" amplifier topology.
wire said: I believe your right on this Seth . I own a Carver amp home and a Car , both use a Magnetic Field design for its power suppy , I believe the new Sunfires are more like the Carver Lightstars Amps designs . Click to expand... The Tracking Downconverter amplifier design was a concept in Bob's head for some time, he just could find a way to make it work correctly until Sunfire. They use a smaller, but more effective power supply that produces minimal heat (the Sunfire amplifiers don't have heatsinks, or at least they didn't. They used the case to dissipate any heat, which was very low). It has almost all the benefits of any amplifier just not to the extreme points of different amplifier topologies, it is a very "well rounded" amplifier topology.
wire Senior Audioholic Sep 22, 2007 #20 Seth=L said: The Tracking Downconverter amplifier design was a concept in Bob's head for some time, he just could find a way to make it work correctly until Sunfire. They use a smaller, but more effective power supply that produces minimal heat (the Sunfire amplifiers don't have heatsinks, or at least they didn't. They used the case to dissipate any heat, which was very low). It has almost all the benefits of any amplifier just not to the extreme points of different amplifier topologies, it is a very "well rounded" amplifier topology. Click to expand... I think in the End of the Carver Days , he came out with the Lightstar , it was a pricy amp , but kick *** and Clear . I heard from the Carver Forums that some of that Tech went into the Sunfire amps , since he left Carver and created Sunfire . I like in the new Sunfire Amps , you can option the Tube like sound Chip or go with out it , or By-amp the Tweets with the Tube like sound and the low end with regular power ( more Bass ) .
Seth=L said: The Tracking Downconverter amplifier design was a concept in Bob's head for some time, he just could find a way to make it work correctly until Sunfire. They use a smaller, but more effective power supply that produces minimal heat (the Sunfire amplifiers don't have heatsinks, or at least they didn't. They used the case to dissipate any heat, which was very low). It has almost all the benefits of any amplifier just not to the extreme points of different amplifier topologies, it is a very "well rounded" amplifier topology. Click to expand... I think in the End of the Carver Days , he came out with the Lightstar , it was a pricy amp , but kick *** and Clear . I heard from the Carver Forums that some of that Tech went into the Sunfire amps , since he left Carver and created Sunfire . I like in the new Sunfire Amps , you can option the Tube like sound Chip or go with out it , or By-amp the Tweets with the Tube like sound and the low end with regular power ( more Bass ) .
