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John,
You kindly responded to my request for recommendations for a powerful solid state amp for my B&W Matrix 801 IIs that I have had since last spring.
I zeroed in on used models at 200-300 w/Ch by Classe, Krell, Mark Levinson and looked briefly into others as well as the Parasound A-21s you recommended.
I just took delivery of a used Parasound A-21 in near-mint condition. So far, my impressions are positive. I hesitate to say much more at this point since it takes me at least two weeks of careful listening to get over the novel sound of any new component and to live with it long enough really to assess how it sounds, but initial impressions are very favorable indeed.
Thanks for your recommendation.
Enjoy your music,
George
Follow Ups:
I've been very pleased with the A21 for a couple of years now. Prefer it over the Levinson 332 I had just prior.
See ya. Dave
I'm very glad to hear that. The Levinsons were amps I was seriously considering. Some reviewers of the A-21 said they thought it was in the Levinson and Pass class sonically.
I would be very interested to hear your take on the differences between the A-21 and your Levinson.
Thanks for contributing!
George
The Levinson was warm and more romantic sounding. The A21 is more transparent and detailed sounding.
Working from memory on the Levinson. YMMV and all that stuff.
See ya. Dave
From that description, I might well have liked the Levinsons, which were emerging as a strong contender. Several reviewers referred to them as "musical" rather than "analytical". From what I have heard from the A-21s, I do not find them at all edgy, dry or etched in the high end, providing good detail and realistic instrumental timbers for high-pitched orchestral strings, for example. This is what I was looking for.
I have a lot more listening to do and I'm itching to get at it.
Thank you for your comments,
George
George-
the older Parasound HCA series is no slouch either.
A 2nd potential avenue with Parasound is the way I went. I biamped my panels with a PAIR of the A23s. Same net power. Very short speaker cable runs.
And later, with a line level crossover, I'll gain a potential 3db against the '21.
Too much is never enough
Well, it looked like the best amp for the price that I could find and that's why I bought it without ever hearing it. It worked for me. I'm totally happy with my A21. In fact, I leave it turned on continuously.
I used to turn it on and off each time I listened, but I found myself listening multiple times each day so I decided to just leave it on. It has been on for more than a year and it's still working well. It sounds really nice in my system.
I hope you like your A21 as much as I like mine.
Best regards,
John Elison
be left on 24/7 unless you know you will not be using it for quite a while.
Opus 33 1/3
It seems to work well for the A21 so far. My Pass Labs XOno and X1 do not have on/off switches so they remain powered up continuously, too. They've been running for nearly 12-years except for when I leave home on trips or vacation.
Best regards,
John Elison
the stereophile reviewer on the benefits of leaving his amp on 24/7 and the sonic improvements after given lengths of on time.
My PS Audio gear (P 200 preamp and C 100 Integrated) are both designed to be left on 24/7. The power switches are on the back panel.
Opus 33 1/3
If the amp is not heavily biased toward Class A operation and doesn't idle hot it makes sense to leave it ON 24/7.
I measured the Odyssey Stratos Extreme which drew about 75-watts just sitting there idle and it wasn't very warm to the touch. I left that one ON 24/7 as it required a pretty long warmup period before sounding decent.
On the other hand, my Pass Labs X150 drew 200-watts at idle and got fairly warm. I turned that one ON in the morning and OFF at bedtime.
I have no idea how much power the A21 draws at idle but that might influence ones decision on how to manage it's ON/OFF period.
They are great amps for Maggies.
Opus 33 1/3
Just be sure to get the models ending in ".5" (or the new .8).
There is a difference and those are the ones you want.
I had the X150 and later the X150.5. Overall the .5 sounds a little more refined but with a nice tube preamp in the chain, either one can sound excellent.
One of my favorite setups was the X150.5 driven by the Cary SLP-05 6SN7 based tube linestage.
I bought my X150 used otherwise they're way too expensive. I heard the Parasound A21 at a dealer and it was pretty impressive. I liked it much better than the McIntosh in the adjacent rack. In fact, I had the dealer let me listen to both on the same speakers and the Parasound was the easy winner to my ears.
Abe, just curious, what McIntosh amp did you hear? When I had a C220, I lusted after an MC252 or whatever but after much reading (no listening) I've pretty much decided the A21 would be what I'd get if I went high power SS. One of these years ... maybe!
Opus 33 1/3
But I agree you made a great choice. I went back and looked at your original posts given your criteria it looks to me that you made a choice that fit the bill to a 'T'. I think I recommended the Pass A/B models and from what I gather, the Halo A21 has a lot of the same characteristics but in a more reasonably priced package. My brother is considering taking the plunge into high end separates and I won't hesitate to recommend the A21 to him. Not sure he will spend the money though! (...they have to walk before they can run :)
Edits: 02/19/15
nt
Opus 33 1/3
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