Parasound HCA-2200II

dcmartinpc

I just picked up a Parasound HCA-2200II amplifier, and let me tell you, this one is something special!!! I have a LOT of amps right now, going through some testing, finding what I like.... I have settled on Parasound as a brand, and specifically, the HCA series. I have a 1200II, 1500A, 2200II, 2205A, and a 3500 modified by Big Sky Audio on the way.

I have yet to try the 1200II, I just got feet for it and I didn't want it to scratch my equipment rack. The 1500A is a really nice performer matched with my Monitor 70's, not a slouch at all. But I hooked up the 2200II to the monitors because it is the easiest system to change, and WOW. VERY nice amplifier. It will be making the trip up the stairs to my bedroom system this week to be hooked up to the LSi9's.

Just thought I would share my experiences. If you are looking for a 2 channel amp, and can find one of the 2200II's for less than $600, I would jump on it. I have been blown away.

Don

Lietuvis91

very interesting...

I am now trying to pick up the HCA 1500a to run my m70's in my 2ch rig. and you really have me wondering if i should hold out until I can find a 2200 instead...?!

What would you say after you heard them both?

dcmartinpc

Don't get me wrong, the 1500a is a nice amp, but if you have a couple hundred extra bucks, I would keep your eyes open looking for a 2200II, I think it is definitely worth it. The 1500a's are going for about $375 - $400 shipped. The 2200II's go for about $500 - $650 shipped, depending on the deal you find. Just make sure it is the Mark II version. It is the one you want.

The 1500a sounds great with the Monitor 70's. The 2200II is smoother, more balanced, and cleaner on the high end with a little more low end punch.


Don

disneyjoe7

For that money I think you be very happy with a Parasound Halo A23 amp also.

PrazVT

I noticed that peak amps (regardless of wattage) seem to vary from 35a -> 60a+ among the Parasound amps (old and new). Does the peak amperage affect the amount of punch you get from your speakers? I know I noticed more of a difference when I went from the AVR to my 2250, but not sure what difference I would see going from the 2250 to say a 2200 Mk2 or A21. Just wondering ...esp b/c other brands don't really show the peak current specification.

Lietuvis91

dcmartinpc wrote: »

Don't get me wrong, the 1500a is a nice amp, but if you have a couple hundred extra bucks, I would keep your eyes open looking for a 2200II, I think it is definitely worth it. The 1500a's are going for about $375 - $400 shipped. The 2200II's go for about $500 - $650 shipped, depending on the deal you find. Just make sure it is the Mark II version. It is the one you want.

The 1500a sounds great with the Monitor 70's. The 2200II is smoother, more balanced, and cleaner on the high end with a little more low end punch.


Don

darn it....

everytime I settle on something, there's always something just a little better for just a little more money!!! :mad:

i really want to buy the right amp the first time, not looking to cut corners.
I just really didn't think there would be an audible difference between the two amps, not on the m70 anyway...

but if you say there is, and it is clearly better... well then maybe I'll have to save up a little more...

Thanks for your input...

...never ends...

dcmartinpc

The A23 is a great amplifier. But the 2200II has significantly more power and I think it is a better amp. I have heard the A23 on Monitor 70's, and it sounds good, but the 2200II is at a different level.

Peak current has more to do with, from what I understand, an amplifier's ability to drive difficult speaker loads (Low Ohm Ratings). The higher the current rating, the better the ability to handle those loads. I may be wrong, someone please correct me if so. There are definitely differences between these amps. The A21 is much more on par with the 2200II. The 2200II is much better than any of the new classic series.

Don

dorokusai

Vintage Parasound is very nice gear but I think it's time to send some of those down the road.

dcmartinpc

I will be getting rid of the 1200II. The 1500a will be used in my living room system with Monitor 70's, The 2200II in my bedroom system with LSi9's, and the modded 3500 and the 2205a are in my main 2 channel/Home Theater rig with Lsi9's, LsiC, LSiFX, and LSi7's. These amps still outperform many other amps out there for a LOT less money. I have several ADCOM amps that are all being sold too...

With 3 systems, I need a lot of amplification.

Don

dorokusai

Now that sounds like a more logical audio owner. You could run a pair of Monitor70's with a Fisher Price amplifier but I love overkill.

Lietuvis91

dorokusai wrote: »

Now that sounds like a more logical audio owner. You could run a pair of Monitor70's with a Fisher Price amplifier but I love overkill.

so are you saying it's unnecessary to go from 1500a to 2200mkII for m70s??

dorokusai

Absolutely.

dcmartinpc

I never said the 2200II wasn't overkill It just sounded better to my ears... Now, that is somewhat subjective... But it is what I noticed.

Now, I will tell you this, if you get the 1500a, you WILL be happy!!! It matches very well with the Monitor 70's. Like I said, don't underestimate the 1500a. It is an awesome amp, I just really liked the 2200II, enough to move it to my LSi's

If you have extra money that you have nothing better to do with, then get the 2200II, if not, be happy with the 1500a knowing it will sound awesome!

The Monitor 70's will be very happy in the living room nestled warmly with the 1500a. Getting close to time for some nice calm, smooth Christmas music

Don

jinjuku

Lietuvis91 wrote: »

so are you saying it's unnecessary to go from 1500a to 2200mkII for m70s??

What I want to know: Why are you driving a pair of $500 speakers with $400-$600 worth of amp?

Take that ~ $1000, get $800 speakers and a $200 amp.

dcmartinpc

Lietuvis91, did you just pickup the 1500a on Audiogon for $325? Great deal if you did!

Don

Lietuvis91

The equipment in my 2 ch rig I already have. Adding a ~$500 amp to make it sound better does not seem unreasonable to me. However, you are right in the sense that the equipment pushing the speakers probably outranks the speakers. This is ok though because I do plan on going to ls9 in the future.

I just want to buy an amp for my 2 ch rig that I will not have to replace regardless of what my next set of speakers is.

Lietuvis91

dcmartinpc wrote: »

Lietuvis91, did you just pickup the 1500a on Audiogon for $325? Great deal if you did!

Don

Well, i hit the buy button on it, but I guess I have to wait on the sellers response now.
on "My page" it says: pending

I have never bought anything on there, i'm hoping that's how this works :redface:

jinjuku

Lietuvis91 wrote: »

The equipment in my 2 ch rig I already have. Adding a ~$500 amp to make it sound better does not seem unreasonable to me. However, you are right in the sense that the equipment pushing the speakers probably outranks the speakers. This is ok though because I do plan on going to ls9 in the future.

I just want to buy an amp for my 2 ch rig that I will not have to replace regardless of what my next set of speakers is.

Cool, it's nice to have component stack that lets you really ramp up the speaker quality without having to touch the electronics.

dcmartinpc

Oddly enough, I was just updating my previous post to say, that if you were going to upgrade to LSi's in the future, then the 2200II might make more sense...

Good deal on that amp BTW!

One of the nice things about Parasound amps that are well taken care of is that they tend to hold their value very well.

Don

billbillw

jinjuku wrote: »

What I want to know: Why are you driving a pair of $500 speakers with $400-$600 worth of amp?

Take that ~ $1000, get $800 speakers and a $200 amp.

That really makes no sense. Good speakers deserve good amplification, no matter what the cost. In fact, many people believe that the electronics are just as important as the speakers. The key is maintaining balance. This is especially true when you get into the used market where speakers tend to depreciate faster than amps. You can get some very high end speakers that are 10-15 years old for well under $1000. In many instances, those were $3-5000 speakers when new. A speaker of that quality deserves quality amplification (along with a quality preamp and source as well) and in most cases, the cost of that quality will easily approach or exceed the cost of the speakers.

Lietuvis91

dcmartinpc wrote: »

Oddly enough, I was just updating my previous post to say, that if you were going to upgrade to LSi's in the future, then the 2200II might make more sense...

Good deal on that amp BTW!

One of the nice things about Parasound amps that are well taken care of is that they tend to hold their value very well.

Don

Yeah, i figured i'll pick this 1500a up for now. I always wanted a parasound amp, so hopefully everything works out well.

PrazVT

Peak current has more to do with, from what I understand, an amplifier's ability to drive difficult speaker loads (Low Ohm Ratings). The higher the current rating, the better the ability to handle those loads. I may be wrong, someone please correct me if so. There are definitely differences between these amps. The A21 is much more on par with the 2200II. The 2200II is much better than any of the new classic series.

Okay, thanks. Yeah, I knew the NC 2250 was no Halo but it's still been great as a first amp. I guess I'm just trying to figure out what features/specs justify the higher end amps as an upgrade, and what I would hear differently.

dcmartinpc

You will definitely like that amp. It is very good. Don't worry about that. I don't know how old your Monitor 70's are, but if they are fairly new, give them a couple weeks to loosen up before they really begin perform their best.

Don

dcmartinpc

PrazVT wrote: »

Okay, thanks. Yeah, I knew the NC 2250 was no Halo but it's still been great as a first amp. I guess I'm just trying to figure out what features/specs justify the higher end amps as an upgrade, and what I would hear differently.

Absolutely. The new classic are not bad amps So don't take it that way Just be careful to not chase too many specs. I have listened to 2 amplifiers, that on paper looked identical, but were nowhere near sonically comparable.

Don

disneyjoe7

Don, I think you experience a difference of A21 amp and the 2200 amp do to the wattage difference only, which I found fair. I stated the A21 due your statement of "The 2200II is smoother, more balanced, and cleaner on the high end with a little more low end punch" thinking that the A21 brings this to a higher level still.

In the end you found something which works for you, and Parasound is fine with me.

PrazVT

Absolutely. The new classic are not bad amps So don't take it that way Just be careful to not chase too many specs. I have listened to 2 amplifiers, that on paper looked identical, but were nowhere near sonically comparable.

Haha .. True and that's what makes me so weary about choosing one. I like the tonal qualities of the Parasound amp. So that not being a factor, next I just want to know that my RTi A7s are putting out 100% of what they're capable of.

steveinaz

Lietuvis91 wrote: »

Yeah, i figured i'll pick this 1500a up for now. I always wanted a parasound amp, so hopefully everything works out well.

I think you'll be pleased. The HCA-1500A hits way above it's retail price of $995. It's a John Curl design with 60amp capability. It does run hot, so give at least 8" of overhead clearance. I've owned mine for almost 8 years now, and haven't found a single reason to replace it.

The HCA is much closer to the halo series than the classic series. The "classic" have only 30-45amp capability, and don't run pure Class A in the first 10watts. I doubt they use JFETS either (nor does the HCA-1000).

dcmartinpc

disneyjoe7 wrote: »

Don, I think you experience a difference of A21 amp and the 2200 amp do to the wattage difference only, which I found fair. I stated the A21 due your statement of "The 2200II is smoother, more balanced, and cleaner on the high end with a little more low end punch" thinking that the A21 brings this to a higher level still.

In the end you found something which works for you, and Parasound is fine with me.

I am assuming you meant the A23 you mentioned before. And yes, I think I would agree with that I just can't swing the $$$ necessary to go the the A21 (Comparable to the 2200II wattage wise) For me, the 2200II gets me %95 of the way there, and that makes me happy :biggrin:

The new Halo series use better components overall and are a VERY nice amplifiers. That is why I am upgrading my HCA-3500, trying to get it close to JC-1's without spending $4,000 used!!

Don

disneyjoe7

Yes sorry I did mean A23 not the A21, those JC-1's are on my short list.

dbaldus

Have you compared the 2200II and the 3500? I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on a shoot-out between those two. I had a 2200II for quite awhile and loved it, but could always use more power for the big boys if the 3500 is going to really up the ante.

dcmartinpc

I have not played the 3500 and 2200II side by side. Just got the 2200II and the 3500 is at Big Sky Audio for the upgrades. I could compare them when the 3500 gets back, but it really wouldn't be fair with the 3500 being chock full of black Gate VK and RELCAP RT capacitors and PRP and Vischay Mil spec resistors. :eek:



Don