Parasound vs Rotel Amps
@caphill thanks for the detailed feedback. I just have the entry level ML Aeon. I’m thinking next year I’ll replace them with a pair of summit Xs. I was thinking to get the PrimaLuna Dialogue One just to power the electrostats. Since the dialogue one is an integrated amp, I can wire a separate, stereo connection to the turntable thus bypassing the Rotel. My neighbor has one and wanted to sell to me for $2500. |
Well coming to this party LATE... Parasound versus Rotel? I own, compared, and still use some vintage stuff. Namely Rotel 900 series - 980BX & 981 compared them to Parasound’s HCA-1000/1000 collectively tri-amping towers. The P’sound were great for driving unmodified Polk RTi A series speakers as their mid & top are a bit forward & bright. My RTi A series are bi & tri amped - yes no passive filtering save for Clarity DC blocking caps on the tweeters. To me the P’sound sounded “flat” & the top rolled off. During one energetic listening session, I saw the P 1000 “Overload” LED flash driving 4 ohm tweeters. Rotels make the speakers disappear. They idle & run cooler and even during very demanding program material I’ve thrown at them, they don’t seem to break a sweat. My $0.02. Thanks. Tony |
I think the older 900 series gear was very musical with a slight grain but not enough to detract. The 10 series seems to follow the trend of much gear of detail and more detail which leads to a thin lean sound. Parasound is also good but I would not say one is better then the other Just different I see the word technology thrown around a lot I worked in the audio bizz back in the day and it seems amp technology has not changed much since 1980 other then Class D. Things are made cheaper and you do get better sound for less money it seems. Things keep recycling. Tubes are in tubes are out MOS FETs are in MOS FETS are out (usually at the same time). The only way to know for sure what you like is to bring them in and compare. |
geph0007"I think the older 900 series gear was very musical" I think it is so funny when people say the sound was musical it is like having a fine meal and saying it was food and spice like in flavor. very funny! |
