Parasound 1200 II arrived!!

quicksilvergts

I am now I proud owner of a parasound product.
I will try and post pictures as this thing looks immaculate inside and out.

Right out the gate I noticed a much more open box, transparency,clarity experience.
Best way I can explain the experience....
It is like listening to very low quality headphones (or beats lol) then putting on a pair of Sennheiser hd598 or 600.
These are the only headphones I listened to for long time. The difference was drastic, to say the least.

Paired with a SC-1222. My audioquest IC will arrive this Thursday/friday. So I a using some
janky gold IC from radioshack to get me by.

However, today the amp was running extremely hot. Even at idle it was hot.
Left side- 94.6F/ right side- 116.8F. I think a bias adjustment is in order.
I emailed Parasound tonight about the schematics/procedure for this model.

was hoping for some advise on my speaker cables.
I am currently using Sewell silverback for my C/L/R. Which seems of budget high quality.
However the Canare 4s11 seems pretty good.
Would it be a "upgrade" using the Canare over the Sewell?
And would I benifit using the Canare 2- 4 bi-wire cable and eliminating the speaker jumper?
THANKS!!
Cheers!!!

tonyb

Never heard of or even seen a Sewell product, but the Canare is about the best budget cable out there.

EndersShadow

Parasounds tend to run hotter as a FYI. Its in the manual.

Try this manual. I think its the one I downloaded. I cant double check cause its blocked at work: lautsprecher-service.at/download/hca1200llom.pdf

you can buy the service manual here: http://elektrotanya.com/parasound_hca1200ii_sch.pdf/download.html

When I get home tonight I will upload/attach the full manual if I can, or link to where I found it....

Sewell v Canare may not be much different.

If it was me, I'd look to Douglass Connection for your interconnects. Hard to tell the diff between those and my Kimber Hero's...

quicksilvergts

Here ya go Tony. I got them awhile ago. Overall pretty happy.
But not have tried anything else yet lol.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B009RTC62K?pc_redir=1406615219&robot_redir=1

I will keep an eye out for those cable DSkip.

For the meantime.
What about that biwire configuration from Canard?
Is it better than the jumper?
These oneshttp://m.ebay.com/itm/120990920375?nav=SEARCH

quicksilvergts

I downloaded the operating manual before it even arrived lol
Thanks for the schematics link!! I kept finding the lurker link all the time.

Then read most I could about the amp with the time I had available.
Especially what to expect, running warm/hot, caps etc..
The amp did travel from Maryland to Arizona via ups(box was suffice and good shape)
So I figured the traveling did it.

Thank you for the heads up about the Sewell vs canare.
I have looked into Douglas connection. Unfortunately, most higher end IC/SC will come in around Christmas

Thanks a lot for all your input, always appreciated!!

Cheers!

EndersShadow

Congrats on the score....

Once my RS-II's are up and running I may seek out another unit so I can run one channel off each amp. That one was VERY tempting at that price, but no cash.

Let me know if you find anything funky out. I havent really put mine through the paces just yet....

Polkie2009

+1 Ditto Quicksilver, welcome aboard to the ever growing CP Parasound amp owners club,lol. These old 1200II just want to run warm and sound oh so sweet, enjoy!

soundfreak1

As a previous 1200 owner, they do get hot! There are some good cap upgtades you can do to them as well.

deronb1

Saaaaweeeet! My hca 1000a just arrived today as well. VGC with a manual. I was kinda surprised with the price i got it for. Enjoy!

quicksilvergts

deronb1 wrote: »

Saaaaweeeet! My hca 1000a just arrived today as well. VGC with a manual. I was kinda surprised with the price i got it for. Enjoy!

Awesome!!! Glad to hear it. This is a good week.

Soundfreak1- please elaborate, very interested.

Thanks everybody- I plugged in the Evergreen IC, I was a liitle shocked to notice more of a difference lol.
I feel honored to be apart of the parasound crew. Especially since this is my first amp/separate.

nbrowser- thanks I will gain more higher quality IC in time. Especially after this purchase since the wife is like "oh jeez,really" lol

EndersShadow- thanks and will do. This amp delivered was $262

I will be calling Tony from Parasound tomorrow, he just sent me a email with his extension.
Only concern really is... I felt I lost some bass, but the mid/highs are very pleasing.
However the bass is very controlled now.
Need to do some more MCACC tuning lol.

Thank you all, great crew around here!!!

Cheers!!

Polkie2009

A delivered price of $262.00 is a real bargain quicksilver!

skrol

Here's some info that you may find helpful. The biasing procedure for Parasound amps and a schematic for the 1200ii.

Caution: there is a video floating around the internet of some guy adjusting the bias on a Parasound amp. According to the procedure, he is doing it wrong. It also looks like he has bad caps.

quicksilvergts

skrol wrote: »

Here's some info that you may find helpful. The biasing procedure for Parasound amps and a schematic for the 1200ii.

Caution: there is a video floating around the internet of some guy adjusting the bias on a Parasound amp. According to the procedure, he is doing it wrong. It also looks like he has bad caps.

Extremely grateful!!!! Exactly what I was looking for. The procedure.
Jeez you guy/gals are awesome. Now I will pop the top and check/adjust.
Will take pics of the insides.

I did watch the video you are referring too, my caps are nothing like that lol.
Plus the 1200 II has 2 pots each channel.

DSkip- yep, you called it. That is how my Senn hd598 act, their is bass but very controlled
Not a boom boom lol. Which is fine, just like you said give it time. Which I do have some lol.


However, the previous owner (super cool guy) is kind enough to ask me if I would be interested in the cables
that was used with this amp.
Taralabs IC and kimber kable 4tc(older black/blue) SC.
Ya'll think it would be good to buy them? At least the kimber kable 4tc? He said make offer.
Not really sure what to offer or buy them. They are 8ft lengths which I need 8-10ft. My 6ft are too short.

Cheers!!

tonyb

DSkip wrote: »

It doesn't flood the room anymore - it hits when it needs to and stops when its supposed to. .

This ^^^

A lot of folks are used to that overloaded bass in a room that seems to continue on forever.....like in those cars you hear driving down the street. Good clean power/current starts and stops those woofers on a dime so the bass is more defined, harder hitting. Of course providing your speakers are made with some quality drivers to allow such.

Think about how a subwoofer works. One 10-12-15 inch driver driven by a high current amp, sometimes more than one driver too. The better subs that sound more musical and hard hitting have a good amp and a better driver. They start and stop on a dime, are quicker. The ones that don't, we call HT subs where you may like that bass to linger a bit, their lower power and cheaper drivers aren't capable of starting and stopping at an instant. Same principles apply to speakers/power/lower bass.

skrol

If you have more questions, you can also contact Parasound's Customer Service. They are great. When I have emailed them, Richard Schram (President of Parasound Products, Inc.), has responded. How cool is that.
Stan

quicksilvergts

Thanks,
That would is cool.
Tony is as very informative.
No thoughts about the older black/blue Kimber kable 4TC?
Or should I just save, ya think?

Cheers!!

EndersShadow

The TC is good stuff. I'd hop on it.

quicksilvergts

Great thanks, I thought/hopped so. But people had mixed reviews on them
compared to the newer version. Just made a offer hopefully I will get them
By the end of next week

I feel like I have the itch BAD. After watching guardians of the galaxy. I feel
I NEED to sell both my Polk 505 and acquire a SVS PB12/PB2000 by the end of year.

Cheers

voltz

^^^^

Was the movie that good?

westmassguy

quicksilvergts wrote: »

Great thanks, I thought/hopped so. But people had mixed reviews on them
compared to the newer version. Just made a offer hopefully I will get them
By the end of next week

I feel like I have the itch BAD. After watching guardians of the galaxy. I feel
I NEED to sell both my Polk 505 and acquire a SVS PB12/PB2000 by the end of year.

Cheers

The PB12-Plus is Bad A**. Got mine off a fellow CP Member. Incredible sub

quicksilvergts

voltz wrote: »

^^^^

Was the movie that good?

2 thumbs up!!!
Definitely a summer blockbuster.
Most of all it was just "fun" movie comedy,action,vulgar and of course love(a little though lol)

quicksilvergts

Ah jeez. Sometimes don't even see the newer comments
When I am on my HTC.

Anyways,
Westmassguy- I can only imagine. That is my ultimate goal.
have to make do with the PB 12/2000, Budget reasons
I just want a sub that is precise, like my towers or like rtia7/9
But with ground shaking, crunch sounding, metal on metal clank.
Hopefully soon:)

Cheers!!

westmassguy

Mine is the PB2-Plus, the PB 12 came out after mine. SVS told me they're the same design, the 12 has improved drivers, 1000 watt amp and parametric equalizer. My PB2 is unreal, so don't know how they improved upon it. Was watching Captain America last night, and my Sister asked me why the floor was shaking.