Parasound Halo Integrated.

213 - I will report back with my impressions but I'm a setting this up in a secondary room so I am using what I have on hand. I have a pair of Vienna Acoustics Strauss and Cardas Golden Reference cables. I'm hoping it's a good match.

Thanks so much! I’ve had my eye on the Parasound.  It apparently has a great phono and dac section.

At some point in the future I plan to replace my Parasound JC 2 BP preamp, 3 JC 1 monoblocks, and 2 A 23 surround amps with a Halo Integrated driving a pair of KEF LS50s for a simple secondary stereo setup.  I assume the integrated will play nicely with my wife's favorite racing red LS50s.  Is that a reasonable assumption?

db

I'll venture an opinion on that.  For those that have a critique of the LS50's, harshness or brightness in the upper registers is something mentioned.  I owned the P7 and A21 and found them quite good, but one or the other did not reveal the last bit of air in music.  I never noticed this immediately, and had speakers that were somewhat laid back, so it probably wasn't the best combination.

Anyway, what I've read on the Halo integrated is that it's dead neutral, so I think it would be safe to say any top end hotness would be limited to the music being played and whatever the LS50s might be doing.

My wife's favorite racing red LS50s are being driven by a chain of Ayre electronics, QX-5 D/A processor, KX-5 preamp, and VX-5 amp, all Twenty series.  But previously it was a Cary Cinema 12 and Parasound A 21.  We haven't experienced harshness or brightness with either.

At the point alluded to in my 9/17 post, the Ayre chain will drive my KEF Reference 107/2s or, perhaps, Blade 2.

db