Anthem or Parasound Amps?

brettw22

Which is better, stronger, more reliable, etc?

Frank, I've seen where you've checked out Anthem I believe, so what did you think about them?

I have decided to purchase a 5 channel amp and like the Parasound HCA-2205AT, but haven't quite figured out what the differences are between the Anthem PVA or MCA models.

I have seen a few places where Parasound makes a DAC. Is this something that any system can benefit from or is it inherant to Parasound products?

Any information y'all can provide would be appreciated.

Frank Z

Brettw22
The Anthem PVA-7 is rated at 140wpc x 7 into 4 ohms, the MCA amps are rated at 250wpc but are only good for 5 Channels.

The PVA-7 that I got as a loaner for awhile was a great amp, the cost would have been around $1300-$1400. I was not able to make out any audible difference between the Anthem amp and my Pioneer Elite VSX-37TX receiver. The sound was very neutral in comparison to the receiver itself, it neither added or took away from the source material. When business picks up again I'll be looking to add it to my system for good. But then again the Outlaw 7100 may be available by then so I cannot say for certain that the Anthem will end up in my HT. The Outlaw looks to be a pretty good contender for the Amp Shelf, at 100wpc x 7 @ 8ohms(hopefully 200wpc x 7 @ 4ohms) for just under $900, it will be worth a serious look-see.

I have a customer that is using a DAC for his Conrad Johnson/Magnaplanar 2 channel system and he swears buy it, I must admit the system sounds nice, but I'm not sure if it's because of the DAC or the Conrad Johnson Tube Amp.

Hope this helps a little bit.

Frank Z

BTW,
I am going to get the AVM-20 V2.0 pre amp regarless of which amp I buy.

HBombToo

Originally posted by Frank Z

I have a customer that is using a DAC for his Conrad Johnson/Magnaplanar 2 channel system and he swears buy it, I must admit the system sounds nice, but I'm not sure if it's because of the DAC or the Conrad Johnson Tube Amp.

I just added an audio research high def DAC 5 to my system and I was FLOORED.

A DAC is a DAC is a DAC is IMHO a foolish statement, but then again what the hell do I know anyway

I'm just happy not to be in the office even though I'm on 5 hours of Blues Clues and Veggie Tales for the day.

HBomb

yoeddy

I have the Parasound HCA2205-AT and the 2500u Pre/Pro and all I can say is...

mmmmmm....Parasound.

brettw22

I just went to listen to the Anthem amp and was VERY impressed with the sound that it put out. Unfortunately, the store has been waiting for Parasound to get their butts in gear and send out equipment, which has apparently been a losing battle. I VERY much liked the sound of the MCA50.

My understanding between the two brands is that the Parasound is going to give a little louder, harsher sound as compared to the Anthem.

I have to decide which I want more, but I think, from what I've heard (audibly and from others posts) so far, that i like the sound of the Anthem line. At some point, I have to upgrade my receiver to something else, but I'll deal with that another day..........

brettw22

Originally posted by Frank Z
I am going to get the AVM-20 V2.0 pre amp regarless of which amp I buy.

Just as an observation Frank......

When I was in the store that had the Anthem amps, they had an AVM-20 V2.0 hooked up. The only thing that I noticed bad about the thing is that the LCD looked as if it was all smeared and not that crisp. He said that was somewhat inherant in the type of LCD that was used in the Anthem units as compared to the LED type of display that's used on receivers such as the Denon, Onkyo, etc.......

One thing that this salesperson was a big fan of was using a receiver as the pre/pro with external amps, and for a few reasons. First of all was costs, and secondly for the immediate upgradeability. If the goal is to stay current with the newest technologies, replacing the dedicated pre/pro is gonna be a pretty expensive way to go as compared to just switchin out receivers every couple of years.

I know that I can't afford a $2500 pre/pro only to have it not upgradeable (specifically as far as channels go). I like the idea of switching out the receiver every couple of years. I've seen where there have been mixed thoughts about the use of a receiver being used as a pre/pro, but after talking to him, I think that i like the practicality of it. Who knows.......

This was ultimately just to say to watch for the funky LCD that the Anthem uses, but what are your thoughts on the receiver pre/pro idea?

Frank Z

Brettw22,
I think that using a receiver that you already own as a Processor/ Pre-Amp is fine, but I personally would not buy a receiver for the processing capablities only.

replacing the dedicated pre/pro is gonna be a pretty expensive way to go as compared to just switchin out receivers every couple of years.

Kinda Sorta True, but think about what you are getting if you buy an inexpensive receiver. Are you getting the latest bells and whistles, or just a few minor upgrades with a new model number? You've also got to consider the fact that you are paying full price and only using 1/2 of the equipment.

I'm not against using a receiver as a pre-amp, hell that's the route that I'm going to go untill I can afford a new pre-amp. But to buy a new receiver to do the job, that seems like a waste IMHO. Consider the Pioneer Elite VSX-49TX, a great receiver with more features than most people will ever use.....Cost around $4900 MSRP. For that kind of coin you could ALMOST afford a Lexicon MC-12. $4900 just for the pre-amp function? Might as well get the Conrad Johnson, or Sunfire Theater Grand, or Anthem, or NAD, or Adcom pre-amp.

Going back to the sales guy's recommendation. The cost are going to vary depending on which manufacturer you decide on. Obviously not all pre-amps are going to cost the same and not all receivers cost the same. If you want to pay top dollar there are a lot of companies that produce very expensive gear, and they do not necessarily sound better than less expensive equipment. (Case in point, Lsi vs Everybody Else;) ) Parasound, NAD, ADCOM, among others all make really nice gear at a fairly reasonable cost.

Bottom line is you have to listen to it, nobody else does! If you like the way a piece of gear sounds then that's the only opinion that matters. Look at your bank account and see if you can afford what you like, if you can, get it! If you can't, wait a while. Don't settle for less, or spend more than you can afford just cuz the salesguy, or some Dork (that would be me) on this or any other forum says you need to.

Geeze, Did I say anything that makes sense?

brettw22

What you said does make sense........

The only reason that I am going to have to upgrade my receiver (around tax time) is that my current receiver is just a Pro Logic receiver......not even DD. I do like the power that my Onkyo has given me (110wpc), but I do want more power and the external Anthem (225wpc) right now is the way that I want to go. This will give me the immediate boost in power, without having to cover the $4000 price tag for the receiver that I'd wanna be getting for mostly the increased power. It would also be moving me at least halfway to the seperates level and giving me the cleaner sound that I don't currently have. By me getting the 225wpc Anthem unit, and THX not being an issue for me at all (I have NOTHING close to the type of room needed to benefit), I can go with something like the Denon 3803 or, what this imparticular Audio Store had was the Integra line, without really going over $1000 for the receiver. True, I'm only going to be using half of the unit, but basically all I'm needing it for is the updated processing capabilities.

Compared to what I'm currently using, just getting a new receiver would be a HUGE improvement. I'm impressed with what my system does with 110wpc and I'll love to see what it does with twice that power. Also, with as much as the HT technology changes on a regular basis (10.4 being the forseeable plateau), purchasing a pre/pro that's gonna be maxed to it's 7.1 capabilities isn't something that I want to do right now.

Now.......after all that............do I make sense?

Oh ya.......one other thing......I've found the MCA50 for $1400, which is $600 off what it'd run in an audio shop, but it's an online purchase on a never been used or opened unit. Good idea or no? My thought is that an amplifier doesn't have a *LOT* going on inside of it and that it wouldn't really be too likely to break down so lack of warranty may not be such a big deal.......true?

Frank Z

Yes and True

brettw22

Originally posted by Frank Z
Yes and True

Short and sweet.................nice....