Parasound A-23 or Parasound HCA 2200


What are the relative strengths of these amps, I see both available for a good price on ebay.  Thanks.
128x128markainsworth
Depending on age and use, both of them might need to be recapped. If the A23 is near the start of the production run, ie, 2003 is the date code on the one I’ve got floating round here, and it needed new main filter caps. Nothing unusual there, it happens. Ageing and stressing makes it so. The given 2200II will probably be the same, only moreso, regarding some aspect of the Capacitors needing replacement. This is not a Parasound issue, it happens with all gear.

So be careful and look for production date codes before jumping....

All older amps eventually need this and have these issues, I’ve dealt with it hundreds of times.

Eg, just rebuilt a Belles 450 a while back. A high bias mosfet ’hotrunner’. It has 12x3300uf 100V caps in the main power supply. In this case.... two were nearly a dead short,...three read zero capacitance.... and the rest had gone gassy with expanded/bubbled tops and clunking moving innards. I’ve rarely found such bad condition in an amp before, and it not having literally blown the caps out with a bang and associated smoke cloud. A testament to the given capacitor builder, and the robustness of the circuit. On my own original Belles 450 (still got it packed away), one output mosfet had gone to a dead short condition, and the amp kept working, it never failed. Ran that way for months. Not common, usually it’s all fire and smoke at such extremes. But I digress.

Point is... those amps are older now and new caps become a critical issue, and in such scenarios the failure generally occurs at turn on, and...one day...it just happens.
Had a pair of A23's.

Derived from JC, but not actually designed BY JC, if memory serves.

Still, very good, modern sounding amps. Quite physically warm, and biased further into Class A than spec. Neutral to slightly warm without being stark. Not juicy at all.


Parasound states the A23 is circuity designed by John Curl, they used to describe his amps as Amplifier designed by John Curl
@jl35

I stand corrected.  I think I confused it with the language for the integrated.

My bad,

E
Hi Teo.  Thanks for the advice.  It did occur to me that an amp of that age might need some 'cap' work.  How would I  know (other than checking for capacitors that bulge like miniature soup cans infected with botulism) ? 

If I intended to keep this amp long-term, I might be inclined to have the caps replaced, just on the theory that they are too old not to have issues.  But since I only intend to keep it for a few months until I have enough $$ to buy what I want (a Newer Bryston 4B SST), I thought I would play that by ear -- literally.

Assuming I do need to have it re-capped.  (And maybe I would do that prior to selling it anyway.) Where would be a good place to send it.  It appears you do that work.  Perhaps you would provide an estimate.

Another thought:  Maybe I should settle for an Integrated amp with a bit less current but a decent preamp section for now.  My immediate plan is to connect my DAC directly to the amp. (I am not a fan of vinyl.  I had plenty of the required maintenance and penalty for lack of it when I was younger so I just need 1 input. I have been 100% digital for decades.  Lately, I have ditched the CDs in favor of TIDAL hifi)