Parasound vs Emotiva
I'm currently running an Emotiva A300 into my near field desktop system consisting of an isolation transformer feeding a Gustard X26 Pro dac into a topping Pre 90 preamplifier into the bas X a300 into a pair of Emotiva T zero. The amp is high passed at 80 hz via my pair of Emotiva S8 subwoofers. The source is Playstation 5.
The system sounds incredible. Textured, resolute, musical, clear as a bell, tight as a drum, yet warm, it's very very nice I assure you! Dimensional, Soundstage, often times quite holographic.
My only gripe is the a300 doesn't command the low end or provide a lot of bass punch like my NC400 Ncores did. (Those amps were also flat out incredible but I dont have anymorr).
I have a Parasound A23+ on the way. It is 4 times the price of the Emotiva. Both class AB, both around the same weight, both around the same power rating.
I'm a little nervous because I am listening to my system right now and it just sounds so good. I'm expecting a stronger low end with the Parasound, but not sure what else to expect.
Guess we will find out in a few days!
If the A23+ doesn't give you the type of sound you want, I'm not sure that the JC5 will. I'm not sure what Monoprice amp you are talking about. The only 2-channel amp they have is $1099. It's essentially an "Emotiva level" version of the ATI 4002 amp. Actually, if you want a better amp with the Emotiva type of sound, I would look at the ATI AT4002 ($2799) or AT6002 ($3795). Kinki Studios has been said to be a very good solution as well. |
Hey ja_kub_sz, question!
I really really love this X26 Pro dac and was thinking of adding the Gustard A18 reclocker, the $1800 model. The X26 Pro is the first device I've owned with. Reclocking port and the first device I've ever heard make a really significant jump when utilized with balanced vs RCA.
Do you think it would be worth it? |
Well I think my review will be fairly in depth and will really be of use to those looking at either brand and kind of what does your money get you. Everything I said about the Emotiva A300 is true. There are also aspects of it that the Parasound has exposed. But anyone on a tight budget, the Emo is a real audiophile amplifier, full stop, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. And.. the Parasound is on another level. In a few areas they are close and in some other areas definitely not. Very very nice amp! Give me another 5 days to let it settle in and I will write a full comparison. But in short, yes, the Emo is powered down and will stay that way until I need a surround amp. |
Sorry, I’m going to have to rain on the parade, OP. I want you to know that it’s nothing personal. The A300. It has internal fans. Fans! Emotiva plays with the numbers to claim it doubles power at 4 ohms, it hits 300 watts at 1Khz at 1.0% THD. Any amp company that plays with the numbers like this and puts fans inside the chassis instead of having 2 separate heat fins can’t be taken seriously. They simply made too many compromises. Proof? A class A/B amp that claims 150 x 2 wpc and a max power draw of only 350 watts. Class a/b amps have an efficiency of typically under 70%, so that just doesn’t add up. Then there is the S8 sub. Passive radiators are not the best choice for music reproduction, you want a sealed sub, or to spend a lot more for ported or radiated. I’ll stop there, but one could definitely make improvements. That amp is a good place to start. You may need to upgrade to some musical speakers to get the most out of the Parasound… |
