So I downloaded Benchmark's Excel and plugged in my numbers. RESULTS of my Parasound 2125v2 (150 damping) with 24' speaker wire (14 gauge with 30% less resistance) = 58 damping at speaker. RESULTS of my NAD C298 (>800 damping) with 24' speaker wire (14 gauge with 30% less resistance) = 86 damping at speaker. I'm not getting 150 damping at the speaker, so there's lots of room for improvement via a thicker speaker wire (lower gauge) or shorten my speaker wire. ----- This is like car analogy with horsepower/torque measured at the crank or at the wheel (loss of power through the transmission).
I didn't find any factory reset for the Halo, but I tried this: Turn On Volume And Favorite Volume; Factory Reset - Parasound 200 Pre Owner's Manual [Page 14] Seems like it worked, thanks.
Damping is like the shock/struts on a car analogy, to prevent the car from bouncing up/down more than once after you've hit a speed bump/pothole. I found a good video that shows the many cycles (bounces):
Missing manual? I love the flexibility of the parasound pre-amps Unfortunately I have heard about to many issues with a few versions. There amps are This Pic is like a work of art... absolutely gorgeous!! My next Halo + will be in black Currently all silver...nice but the black is freaking beautiful!
I know...old post just reading thru... This ....I think gives me my decision on getting the A23+...I currently use A23 for over 15 years Powdered on 24/7..Paired with a Anthem preamp sounds absolutely amazing every listening session I'm in awe after all these years. I have no reason to upgrade..mine is in silver but I find the new 23+ in black absolutely beautiful But also in factor is price..the original A23 was 1k. It's so dam hard in the Audiophile world everyone loves new toys...the what ifs...so many choices of excellent reviews of gear. Absolutely Love my A23.. I'm sure I will Love my 23+ even if it is because of cosmetics.
Thanks. They do look great indeed. They are still working exceptionally well. I am very happy with them. There are no plans for upgrades.
Yes...I'm totally impressed... absolutely beautiful set-up! Definitely no need to upgrade at all....any upgrade may bring different sound...but definitely not better sound.
My new NAD C298 amp (similar to the NAD M23) sounds even better than my already great Parasound 2125V2:
The Pascal amp module blew on my NewClassic 200 Integrated over the weekend, so now I’m basically left with a NewClassic 200 Pre. Considering I bought it used and it’s definitely past the 2 year warranty, I’m guessing it’s not even worth contacting Parasound for options. The thing is, if I could get a replacement amp module, it looks very easy to replace. There are a couple of sellers on AliExpress selling them for around $180 shipped, which doesn’t seem bad, but given the cost/performance of class D amps these days and recent discounts on the NewClassic 200 models I’m not sure it’s worth it. Are the 200’s being discontinued? Who knows. I did order the Fosi V3 Mono Blocks mere hours before the amp went up in smoke, oddly enough, but those don’t ship until June. So now I’m left with the dilemma of either using my cheapo AVR, buying a new amp module, or finding another cheap power amp in the meantime. Any thoughts on whether the amp module is worth replacing?
If you think you can sell it later at a good price, then I would fix it. I would also try asking Parasound about fixing cost.
As a new-ish owner of the same unit, this is disturbing news. I would contact Parasound if for no other reason than to see what they have to say. Beyond that, you may get better, more direct answers to your questions (e.g. repair estimate? are these failures common? etc) from a Parasound authorized repair facility as opposed to PS proper. I'm not clear on how PS is handling repairs now, but two places that still claim to offer authorized service are George Meyer AV and Adam's Electronics Even if they are no longer supported by PS they might be good sources of info. Keep us posted.
Yeah, I suppose it couldn't hurt. I'm just guessing any repair would be $500+ (amp module cost, plus labor, shipping, etc.). You also can't call Parasound any longer - you have to submit a form for warranty support, and that form says, "For non-warranty service do NOT fill out this form. Please contact an Authorized Parasound repair center (www.parasound.com/support.php) or Authorized Dealer for assistance." Except, they give you no other avenue to contact them, so I believe it will be more likely to be brushed off. Maybe I'm wrong. Also, they only list the second shop above as an authorized repair center, so I guess I’d have to ship to CA and back. But you’re right, maybe if I reach out the shop can give me an idea of whether this is a common failure or worth doing or not.
Agree. And even if the first place is no longer "authorized" they should at least have some familiarity with the product line and, who knows, maybe some parts lying around. Plus, at this point, you don't really care about the authorized part of the equation since you don't have a warranty to void. Good luck and keep us updated.
The hits keep coming . Not only can one no longer call Parasound but you can't message them unless it's a in warranty issue. It'd be interesting to hear Richard Schram's thoughts on the direction Parasound has taken since being sold.
I am looking to buy an amp in a year or so. No rush but will pounce if I come across a good deal. The A23+ is one of the candidates on my list and this thread is making me think twice.
Yeah, I'm torn, because I love the HT Bypass functionality of this unit and I love the remote with sub/bass controls right on it. I don't know what I'll do when/if it dies completely but I'm losing faith in Parasound as a company with all of these changes. People say just use an AVR and add a nicer power amp if needed, but I don't like controlling stuff through AVR menus on a TV screen using a remote with a million buttons. I like taking the AVR out of the picture and not needing two sets of speakers, and I don't have another good place in the house to separate my listening space from my TV space anyways. Maybe there's another good HT Bypass solution out there but when I checked there weren't many with the same bass management features.
I would stick to your plan of adding the Fosi (correct name?) amps using the Pre 200 as a preamp. You could use your AVR for music for the time being till they arrive. I've used preamps with HT Bypass for years. So I think you're correct in not wanting to use your AVR.
I would buy it from an auth dealer so if you have any issues the dealer can deal with Parasound......Just because the Sheriff is acting like a (dork) insert other d word.......does not mean I will not buy Parasound gear. He is not an audio designer/engineer, I don't need to speak to him like I used to speak with Phil and RSchram...... I've owned Music Hall tables and Roy Hall has been known to be a smelly turd, it was still great gear.
I was a long time fan of Parasound amps, preamps and integrated amps. But Parasound is now an entirely different company and not in a positive way. There are so many great amp companies out there. Personally I would not risk my hard earned money on Parasound gear. Unless it was used at a great price. Then the risk is worth the reward IMO.
Thanks for the advice. I’ll likely buy used. With the new Luxman Z models arriving this year I might find some deals when people start dumping their older models.
I hear ya and in many ways can agree.......but I think you risk your hard earned money buying any gear these days with the prices so high. The risk is weighted to you won't like the sonic return for your money, so then you have to decide do I return it or live with it? Just take a gander on Audiogon, look at all the gear that is for sale and especially high priced gear, take notice of the brands. It's kinda rare you see lots of posts for Parasound gear, especially in the past 2 yrs. I'm on the watch for a deal on a JC2BP preamp, they pop up but then are swiped up pretty quickly. I'm sure I am wrong but I don't recall seeing JC1, JC5, Hint amps for sale there often.. I still feel nothing has changed regarding the design, build and performance of Parasound gear..price is another conversation as well ownership.
Quite often I buy used. With that I research pricing, the seller (must have 100% positive ratings), the components and brands that are of interest. When buying new it's from reputable online dealers that have at least a 30 day return policy. There are many precautions one can take to eliminate much of the risk of buying used and new. If what I've bought is used the above criteria make reselling it for a minimal loss if any quite simple. If buying new then return the component within the allotted return time. I hardly ever look on Audiogon. When they jacked up their seller fees many years back that was it for me. I use Hi-Fi Shark to search for used gear. I've had excellent results with that and buying and selling on US Audio Mart. Here's two JC2BP preamps for sale on US Audio Mart. Used Parasound Halo JC2 BP Control amplifiers for Sale | HifiShark.com There's quite a few listings for Parasound gear on the Hi-Fi Shark. Used Parasound for Sale | HifiShark.com Most of the design, build and performance has not changed because for the most part it's gear that was already in production before Parasound was sold. Price and customer service are the main issues. Those two are just as important as the gear and with Parasound it's not very good.
I would just be sure to buy new from a local dealer. If support is acting up, the dealer, at least, has some leverage, and you have some leverage over the dealer (complaining loudly about their bad service on a busy Saturday can usually grease the wheels.)
If I was gonna buy new I'd buy from an authorized dealer for this reason.....I will let them fight with the MFG for any issues I have or they can just take it back. Dealers will handle customer service at a much higher level than a MFG will or is setup to do. If Parasound wants to eliminate the direct customer service support like they had in the past, that's fine, I'll just deal with the auth dealer.
