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Parasound A21 vs Bryston 4bsst 2

I'm looking for any information regarding the Parasound A21 vs the Bryston 4bsst 2. The amp will be used to drive a pair of Aerial 7Ts. It's not about what's better, but what one represents the better value, considering the cost difference. In other words, for those who say get the Bryston, is it twice as good as the Parasound? My room is 20' x 26', I listen to contemporary Jazz, and my priorities are soundstaging, imaging(front to back placement), and as close to neutral as possible without brightness. Thanks in advanced for your opinions.
ricred1
runnin
397 posts
 
The pre-with-a-dac category is fairly new I think, Wyred 4 Sound makes the mPre, and I think Peachtree Audio offers something, but they don't have a lot of inputs.
ricred1 OP
2,015 posts
 
Zd542,

Sure Ayre, Theta, BAT and Pass are considered to be great;however they are significantly more than the Parasound A21. Name a great amp that can be had for the same price of the A21.
zd542
5,339 posts
 
"Name a great amp that can be had for the same price of the A21."

You can probably find a Pass Aleph, older BAT SS and maybe an Ayre V-3 in your price range.
milpai's avatar
milpai
2,383 posts
 
Zd542,
I think you need to compare the A21 with Pass Aleph while driving the Aerial 7T. The Pass would probably do great with high sensitivity speakers, but might not sound good with the Aerials. Ricred1's room is also not a small one, so the Pass would not help there either.
One thing is - the A21 does not loose it's value as much. So Ricred1 could always sell the amp if he wants to upgrade. For now I think he has made the right choice. My only suggestion, based on personal experience would be, to go with a preamp that has XLR outs. It may have been my TVC, but my A21 is in a different league when used with the TVC connected through XLR Vs the RCA.
Ag insider logo xs@2x
hk_fan
462 posts
 
I'd recommend against a preamp with an integrated DAC. While I understand the convenience factor, digital technology is advancing at a blinding rate. It's the one area of my system that I expect to be obsolete quicker than any other. Being tied to an outdated DAC because it resides in my preamp is not something I'm interested in. Yes, you can always add a outboard DAC down the road, but then you spent money on a feature you are no longer using.

Just food for thought... Good choice on the Parasound over the Bryston.
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