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I decided to get a new amp for the main system and put the amp I am using now into the secondary system. Presently I am using an Odyssey Stratos Extreme into a Rogue RP5 tube preamp driving GE Reference Speakers. I am feeling the Odyssey amp maybe holding the rest of the system back.So that brings me to either the Parasound or the Son of Ampzilla. I already own a Parasound Halo Integrated so I am wondering if the A21 amp would be more of the same. I am looking for a little warmer sounding amp. Which of the two ( and only these two) amps would be warmer sounding? I have read great reviews on both. Back in the mid 70's I had the original Son of Ampzilla and cried the day I sold it. If the Parasound sounds like my Halo but with more power then I think if would go with the new Son of Ampzilla amp
One more thing, l plan on buying one of them this week, which one do you think is better and why? The Son of Ampzilla is 4200 opposed to 2500 for the Parasound. Would this be a sideway move or an advancement?If you would like to know what the rest of the system contains, you can look it up in the Asylum under stereo5
"Big man, pig man, ha ha charade you are.
You well heeled big wheel, ha ha charade you are."
R. Waters
Edits: 08/08/17 08/08/17Follow Ups:
Thank you all for your responses. You talked me out of buying an amp. I am happy with what I have but would have enjoyed more power and I would have liked not leaving the amp on all the time. However, I won't throw money away if my amp is warmer than the two I mentioned.
Thank you!
"Big man, pig man, ha ha charade you are.
You well heeled big wheel, ha ha charade you are."
R. Waters
Good choice. Take your time and one day you will find something special and more in line of what you want.
Best of luck and try looking at some tubes to match up with that Rogue preamp.
Thanks
I am using Mullard NOS 12au7 that I bought from Uncle Kevin.
"Big man, pig man, ha ha charade you are.
You well heeled big wheel, ha ha charade you are."
R. Waters
If you don't mind tubes and want some real warmth, I would consider auditioning tube amps that use EL34 power tubes.... but you'll need more than two EL34s per channel if you need decent power.
Abe is on the mark describing the warmth and power of the EL34 vs. 6550/Kt88 power output tubes.
They'll keep your room toasty in the winter...a little caveat.
If you get the itch again, perhaps a local audio shop or nearby inmate can help out with an in home audition.
Why not look into KT-88s. Nice amount of power and still a very nice tube sound.
Hey Abe, when ya gonna try one of those VTA amps!!!
I haven't tried KT-88s in many years. I put some in my ARC VT100mkII but I preferred the 6550s. It may have been that the amp preferred 6550s because I thought the VT100mkII was a slight bit veiled with KT-88s in it.
Yes, I'd love to try a nice VTA amp someday. Maybe when I'm retired.
Wow, that's a tough question that opens up several possibilities as you can tell by the responses so far.Having owned two Odyssey Stratos (Plus & Extreme) I can tell you that these amps are pleasantly on the warm side so if you're looking for more warmth you might be better served taking another path.
I have very little experience with Parasound amps but I've heard a couple in a dealer showroom. They are truly outstanding and sanely priced but I never thought of them as being warm. They're just great sounding amps and I would have to say they are LESS warm than your existing Stratos Extreme.
That leaves the Son of Ampzilla. I owned a pair of Ampzilla 2000 2nd Edition mono blocks. They were very refined as solid-state goes with a slight bit of warmth but not as warm as your Odyssey amp. Definitely more transparent, dynamic, and overall better sounding though. Same for the Pass Labs X150 & X150.5. Better sounding overall but not quite as warm as the Odyssey. I also recall having to leave my Odyssey amp ON 24/7 for best results. No big deal because being biased AB they draw only about 75w at idle.
I think JoshT also mentioned a couple CJ SS amps. I had the MF-2250se (oops, I actually had the MF-2250A. I don't think they made an SE version back then). In any case, the CJ was wonderfully warm and smooth but it was also a little more on the polite side when it came to leading edge 'punch' with some percussive instruments. They no longer make it but there are comparable newer designs available. See the post by JoshT .
My thoughts on the Ampzilla 2000 2nd Edition posted in 2014
What are you using for your source? CDP? DAC? Perhaps there's room for improvement there with a bit more warmth. In my experience some DACs are warmer than others. While others go overboard and lose detail and lose top and bottom end extension giving the false sense of midrange warmth when in fact they're just rolled off at the frequency extremes.
I have to say, there are some tube amps that are warm and for that I especially like EL34 power tubes. It's hard to get a lot of power out of the EL34 unless the amp uses several of them. I had the AES/Cary SixPack EL34 monoblocks (about 50 - 60 wpc) and the Manley Neo-Classic 250 monoblocks at 250wpc. A friend had the slightly lower power Manley Snapper monoblocks. Now these amps are truly 'warm' sounding, and very warm to the touch! No question about it! But I digress.
Edits: 08/09/17 08/09/17 08/09/17 08/09/17
Nice job as always, Abe.
Yes, as I recall, you had an MF2250 and upgraded it to the 2250A. I never did that upgrade, but I understand you didn't hear a difference and it seems like most owners agreed with you. Today's 2550 and 2275 are likely the same circuits as the A version of the older amps, but the SE have the teflon caps and likely are more dynamic and detailed.
What I find with my trusty MF2250, which was fully refurbished by CJ two years ago, is that it wakes up with the right preamp. It certainly sounds dynamic with the Rogue preamp, at least to my ears, but YMMV of course.
Been meaning to do a mini review of the Rogue now that I've had it about a month or more. I really like it with NOS Mullards.
___
"If you are the owner of a new stereophonic system, this record will play with even more brilliant true-to-life fidelity. In short, you can purchase this record with no fear of its becoming obsolete in the future."
Very good advice- JoshT.
there is a magic w/ CJ ss power amps.
My mistake, it was the MF-2250A that I had. Thanks for the reminder! I don't think they made an SE version of that amp back then. ??I wouldn't mind having that amp back as a viable substitute for a warm tube amp. I bet your setup sounds nice with the tube preamp ahead of your MF-2250.
Edits: 08/09/17
Abe-
which pre-amp did you run w/ your CJ power amp?
It's been a while and I honestly don't remember. I know that I had the CJ PV-14L, CJ PF-R, and CJ Premier 18LS about the same time as the MF-2250A but I can't swear to which one I actually had on the MF-2250A.
Abe-
did you run the Aesthetix Calypso w/ that CJ amp?
No, I had the Aesthetix several years after the CJ. They were never used together in my setup.
I see-Abe.
I would like to hear that combo (CJ and Aesthetix) someday.
I'm not so sure I'd expect to like either of those amps more than the Odyssey.
OK, I know you are looking for binary advice on two amps and are not getting what you are looking for really, so I'll play along with everyone else who isn't really being responsive! ;-)
I am running my RP-5 with a Conrad Johnson MF2250, a now discontinued product with 125 watts per channel, which is plenty for my Dynaudio Focus 160 stand mounted speakers to play super loud without distortion. I love that combination. There's a certain magic to that amp IMO.
If I were you, I would consider either the CJ 2550 (250 wpc) or 2275 (125 wpc), which are the current replacement models for the older MF series. Each also comes in an SE version with the teflon caps, but if the standard versions sound like mine, I don't see any need for that upgrade.
If you go tubes, then I'd say try the Rogue Stereo 100 or Mono 180s.
___
"If you are the owner of a new stereophonic system, this record will play with even more brilliant true-to-life fidelity. In short, you can purchase this record with no fear of its becoming obsolete in the future."
That seems like a sideway move. You should get yourself a nice tube power amp!
I think you are rushing into this and just replacing one SS amp with another. IMHO it sounds like you are looking for a completely different sound that neither amp can offer.
You are looking for a warmer sound but you don't want to give up the detail and qualities of a newer design. Why not consider a tubed amp. that would bring you closer to a more "organic" yet still detailed sound. After I switched to the VTA ST-70 I never could go back to "newer" SS amps.
I know you are looking for opinions on these two amps. But it this post is just screaming that you are not going to find what you are looking for with either.
If it's a matter of available power and headroom all else equal, you need to do more than go from 165 Wpc to 220 or 250 Wpc to avoid going sideways.
I own the Parasound Halo A21 and I know nothing about the Son of Ampzilla II. All I can tell you is that I'm very pleased with my A21, especially considering its price. If you decide to buy the Son of Ampzilla II, you can get it for $3500 from Hi-Fi Heaven. Personally, I would stick with Parasound. It has slightly more power and it turns on-and-off automatically although I leave mine on continuously. It seems to still be working well after 5-years. I think it sounds great with my Thiel CS3.7 speakers, too. I would save a thousand dollars and stick with Parasound, but that's just me. Like you, I'm also using a tube preamplifier and my system sounds awesome.
Good luck,
John Elison
nt
A friend gave it to me to repair. It had a Rega tonearm that needed a new five pin connector installed.
You have good eyes! ;-)
John...........
Do you find your amp to be on the detailed side or more the warm side?
"Big man, pig man, ha ha charade you are.
You well heeled big wheel, ha ha charade you are."
R. Waters
The A21 is not what I would consider warm, but it's also not detailed in the sense of being analytical. I think it's a neutral and transparent amplifier. If you're looking for warmth, maybe you should consider different speakers. I think speakers might have more impact on that sort of sound than a solid state amplifier. On the other hand, maybe a tube amplifier might bring out the warmth you're looking for. Another thing might be different speaker placement.
I had a rather interesting experience just last week. I got out some small B&W speakers I bought five years ago just before buying my Thiels, and I've been having a lot of fun listening to a completely different sound. In fact, these things are definitely warm. Check out my post at the link below.
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