Need separates for MA Gold 100. Alternatives to Parasound P6/A21+, please!

The P6/A21+ combination is an excellent combination. I enjoyed auditioning them. Can’t go wrong with Parasound. You might want to also look into the RC-1590/RB-1590 pairing from Rotel. 
 

When I was looking to upgrade like yourself it was down to Parasound and Rotel. I ended up preferring Rotel. I perceived the Rotel being a bit more muscular and The Parasound a bit more laid back/polite.

Good luck in your search. Btw, the Arcam SA20 is fantastic. If your room isn’t too large and you can run the Arcam within it’s limits the MA speakers should sound pretty good with it.

Cheers,

Scott

Thank you! I just had a look at the Rotels. It appears that the RB-1590 power amplifier is an absolute beast! It is pulling a bit more money than the Parasound A21+. I’m open to it, but I’ll need to wait for a good deal. Do you think the little brother to it can carry the load of the Monitor Audios better than the SA20. The MA’s are 4ohm. The RB-1582 MKII is rated at 200wpc into 8 ohms.

To be honest, I’m a bit confused on how to read specs regarding speaker loads. Historically, I’ve just avoided hard-to-drive speakers and stayed within the BBC speaker family. My Harbeths are not fussy. In fact, the little Arcam sounds lovely with them. What amplifier specs do I need to be looking at to best pair with 4 ohm speakers?

As far as the Rotel preamplifier goes, it’s now right at the top. Thanks again!

You’re welcome. Oh yeah, the RB-1582 MKll would do a great job as well with MA Gold 100s. Combining it with the RC-1590 MKll would be an excellent setup.

Both the Rotel and the Parasound would have no problem with the MAs. They both have excellent power supplies with big transformers and big power supply caps to handle tough loads.

Cheers,

Scott

Really depends on what sound characteristics you’re looking for.  Your speakers seem to be pretty neutral, so what attributes would you be looking for out of your amp and preamp, and are you looking new or used and what’s your price range?  Also, I’d keep the DAC separate from the preamp to keep your options open as digital audio progresses. 

nickrobotron,

depends what you want to spend Sim audio goes very well with monitor audio but their evolution series is not cheap but it's world class.

Rotel Michi is also extremely good too.

hi nick, i had budget for,  parasound a21+, with  naim 272 pre,  totem  speakers.  very happy with  result. rotel  is also  excellent brand.   good luck