Big Sky Audio Upgrades for Parasound

Inspector 24

My timing may be a bit off to ask this now, but I'm contemplating selling my OEM HCA-3500 and replacing it with a fully modified Big Sky Audio unit.
http://bigskyaudiomt.com/index.php?pr=Parasound_HCA-3500_power_amplifier

Superficially, the upgrade seems worth it just for a properly serviced, inspected and bias adjusted amp and the upgrades seem like the frosting on the cake, but what I really want to know is how it improves the sound.

Has anyone here done these upgrades to a Parasound, or any amp? What changes/improvements did you experience? Would you do it again?

Thanks in advance!
Ryan

Inspector 24

Anybody? Even a similar upgrade on a different amp??

F1nut

They have been in business a long time with a good rep. Expect a more refined sound.

Inspector 24

Any direct experience with their upgrades?

F1nut

None, just what I've read.

JayCee

I had 2 Parasound HCA-1500A's upgraded in 2012 and both are still in use. There have been a few questions on CP about Big Sky Audio over the past couple of years and since I've actually met the guy I'll give you my experience. First, I'll give you the upgrade story, then give you my impressions of his work. Disclaimer...I have absolutely no affiliation with him.

Background
I retired from the Air Force and was doing a cross country trip to Seattle that took me close to Helena, Montana, so decided to avoid shipping and dropped them off. We stayed the night in Helena and did some sight seeing in the old town area and capital.

Rick Krzemien, the owner/tech, is a one man show. From what I remember, his background in electronics started in the aerospace industry in California...it eventually evolved to audio. He and his wife decided California was too expensive and wanted a change of venue, so moved to MT partly because it's more affordable. He works out of his house and his wife does the books. Took me a while to find his place because he lives just outside of Helena in the country (Google Maps had his address wrong). He kept in phone contact with me on my way in from Yellowstone NP and guided me the last bit to his house. Met us in the driveway and we went from there.

His shop is in the basement and he did not hesitate when I asked if my wife and I could take a look. My wife is still in the Air Force and used to work on aircraft electronics. He showed us his work station and test equipment. Immediately, my wife recognized some of the equipment and she began to speak electronics geek with him. His equipment looked well maintained and the area was very clean. He had another CP forum member's Adcom on the bench (littlewoodboats) and showed me what he was doing with it. At the time, Rick's business was designated an authorized Parasound repair facility and I assume it still is. I'd already discussed the upgrades I wanted so felt very comfortable leaving the amps. He'd agreed to let me leave them with him for about a month and the plan was to pick them up on my return trip back east. I told him not to rush but I would give him an exact date as my plans worked out. A week later he called and both amps were done. About 3 weeks later I returned and I picked them up. Not counting the phone calls prior to arriving, I spent about an hour and a half talking upgrades and audio during my two visits.

Upgrade
Here's what he did...
http://bigskyaudiomt.com/index.php?pr=Parasound_HCA1500A
Plus, I opted for the optional Rubycon Black Gate package he offered at the time. Not sure if it's still available because he said the parts were getting scarce. I'd read differing opinions on the use of Black Gate. Rick felt they added to the upgraded but at no time tried to up-sell me. With respect to the entire upgrade package, he won't explain every detail because he feels having a bit of a trade secret keeps him competitive in a market that's easy for his competitors to copy. You might agree with his line of thinking or might believe he should be 100% forthcoming with everything, but I totally understood where he was coming from. In the end, he struck me as legitimate, sincere and honest, so I trusted his recommendations. My wife also came to the same conclusion.

Current 2 Channel Rig
Sources: Synology DS211 NAS serving FLAC via wifi (all redbook CD's ripped to FLAC)
SACD
DVD-A
Preamp+DAC: OPPO BDP-105 (I don't use a dedicated preamp)
AMP: Parasound HCA-1500A
Speakers: Polk SDA-SRS 1.2tl's Full mods...
(Tony's boards, Sonicraft & Mills, Jantzen inductors, Larry's rings,
dreadnaught, BH5, etc, etc,...)
Cables: MIT Shotgun S3's (start to finish)
PC: Home made DH Labs Power Plus power cable w/Neotech connectors

Past Configurations
I still have all this gear in use on another system or in storage
Speakers: SDA-1C's and SDA-CRS+(4.1tl) (both fully modded)
Polk LSiM 705's
Pre's: Adcom GFP-750 and Anthem Pre-2L (Mundorf Oil/Silver Cap upgrade)
Comparison Amps: Sunfire 300/2 (restored to factory spec by Rita's)
Emotiva XPA-2 (sold)

I use one HCA-1500A in the 2 channel system and the other in my HT.

2 Channel Impressions
Prior to the upgrades I didn't have a problem with either amp...I just wanted more of what they offered without spending big bucks. What made this easy for me was the fact I purchased both of my 1500's cheap...this made upgrading very attractive.

Internally, the technical work was clean. No sloppy soldering or anything that looked incorrectly done. Boards were clean and I can see many of the items he replaced.

Sound. The 1500's are dead quiet...more so than before. The bass is VERY tactile and VERY present at low volume...smooth and controlled...absolutely love it. Midrange is more natural and clean. Parasound is known for having a laid back top end and I feel the upgrade made this a bit more aggressive. Not aggressive in a bad way, but overall there's a marked improvement in detail and I think that's had an affect on the top end. In comparison to my Sunfire 300/2 amp the sound stage isn't as wide and I'd hoped for a bit more here. Not that there's a problem with it but I attribute this to a difference in each amp. The 1500 soundstage is a bit more forward and the Sunfire is more relaxed and rounded. However, the detail with the 1500 is superb. If I could combine the 1500 with the 300/2's soundstage width it'd be perfect.

Am I happy with the upgrade...yes. Would I do it again...yes. Do I have any regrets...no.

Not to sound like a teaser but there is a bit more Rick shared with me with respect to what he does. I'd be happy to speak with you about it but don't want to post it out of respect for him. Shoot me a PM if you're interested and I'll reply with my tel number. My wife's stationed overseas and we're living in Germany. I have a Magic Jack with a stateside number you can call. Won't cost you anything for international. We can work out the time difference if you decide to call.

One last thing. Speaking of Germany...the Parasound's are 110/220 volt compatible but have to be internally configured for it. I searched the web on what to do to no avail. I gave Rick a call and he was more than happy to help me out. He said since he'd worked on the amps and knew I was capable of doing some internal work on my own, he considered it part of the customer service. He sent me the directions from the Parasound tech manual and I rewired them with no problem. Both are running 220V.

Sorry to be so long winded but I've seen this question enough and had the time to properly respond. Besides, Rick's a small business man that does good work. I'm happy to help get his name out there.

Regards,

John

xjghost

Glad I came across this I have been considering doing this to my Adcom. Thanks for sharing your story.

JayCee

xjghost wrote: »

Glad I came across this I have been considering doing this to my Adcom. Thanks for sharing your story.

Glad this will help. Didn't mention it above but he also gave me the same 110 to 220V conversion tech data on my Adcom GFP-750 and tried to find the same for a Rotel RB-985 I brought over. Unfortunately, he had the same schematic data I've pulled off the web. It's doable but he suggested contacting Rotel directly. I've found a local German tech but just hate paying someone to move a few wires.

Also, Rick said as highly regarded as the 750 is, his upgrade package can notch it up. I won't consider it now but just might when we rotate back home.

Inspector 24

That's an impeccable review. Kinda feel like I owe you dinner, or at least a drink!

Pm'd for that number.

JayCee

I think this might also help for any Adcom folks...I searched for the Adcom thread posted by CP member "littlewoodboats" (LWB). I'd forgotten how much I commented back then. Facts are still pretty much the same for me. Looks like remembering my timeline is off a bit, but you can read his comments on the Adcom.

Keep in mind LWB bought the amp from a third party in California and had it shipped to Big Sky for upgrades. I saw LWB's amp while I was there and another Parasound Rick was upgrading for another customer.

http://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/134907/anyone-use-big-sky-audio
http://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/136889/gfa-585-and-big-sky-audio
http://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/comment/1809682

I haven't seen LWB on CP in a long time and haven't spoken with him since shortly after I moved to Maryland. Hopefully, if he's lurking, he might add something...?

Polkie2009

Inspector 24 wrote: »

That's an impeccable review. Kinda feel like I owe you dinner, or at least a drink!

Pm'd for that number.

Dittos on the review JayCee!

JayCee

Polkie2009 wrote: »

Inspector 24 wrote: »

That's an impeccable review. Kinda feel like I owe you dinner, or at least a drink!

Pm'd for that number.

Dittos on the review JayCee!

Thanks guys. @Inspector 24, I think I PM'd you my number. First time I've tried to PM with Vanilla. Let me know if you didn't get it. I did respond on my wall by accident but deleted it as I thought it may show publicly.

Inspector 24

Got it! Didn't have a chance to call, what times are good to chat?

JayCee

Not sure where you are...Texas? I'm 6 hours from EST. Today, Wed, I'll be available from 2:30 am thru 9:30 am EST. Will be back later in the evening, my time, which will be afternoon for you. If I don't hear from you before I leave I'll let you know when I back.

Inspector 24

Utah, MST. I forget you can no longer see
Locations on the new site.

JayCee

I'm up for the next 2 hours.

JayCee

MST is 8 hours difference from Germany. I'm home all day, so if you call anytime until 3 pm MST is good. After 3 (11 pm, Germany) and I'm in bed. I'll be gone all weekend. If I don't answer right away leave a message and I'll call right back. Sorry, this time zone thing can be a PITA:-)

Here's a link to confirm my local time...use "Frankfurt"
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/

Inspector 24

Sorry I haven't had a chance to call, We've been randomly really busy at work.

In other news, I bought the Amp, So if I haven't sold my OEM 3500 by the time it arrives I should have the chance to do some A/B listening.

Inspector 24

Maybe I'll throw a party! Now if only I hadn't just spent a couple thousand on an amp, I'd go buy that new record player I'd been looking at...

Inspector 24

Huh? Not sure how you think you stepped on my toe, but if I throw a listening A/B demo party surely everyone is invited!

Inspector 24

No worries. It's the internets...Sarcasm doesn't always come across well.

JayCee

Inspector 24 wrote: »

Sorry I haven't had a chance to call, We've been randomly really busy at work.

In other news, I bought the Amp, So if I haven't sold my OEM 3500 by the time it arrives I should have the chance to do some A/B listening.

No problem. Congrats! I'm interested in your comparison. I wish I was able to compare my 1500A's but didn't want to ship one @ a later date. Did you speak with Rick about the amp?

Inspector 24

Not yet, I'll try to on Monday, it would be interesting to know everything done to it, not that I'll understand every part and it's function, but just to know. Also it's coming with power cords that he made which I'd like to know more about.

Inspector 24

Got it! I thought my stock amp was super clean. This thing could be mistaken for BNIB!!

Here's my initial notes, keep in mind this is a unit that had about an hour of play time after modification and has brand new power cords made by Rick at Big Sky, so my thoughts may change as it burns in.

Early impressions
Treble is somewhat grainy on some things, harsh, not necessarily brighter though, also sounds more accurate and revealing
Some midrange sounds a little stuffy
Bass seems a little thin
Center image is awesome, imaging within speakers is very good
Soundstage is no wider than speakers
Minimal listening fatigue after 4hrs though!

Sound about right for an amp that needs some hours on it? Or have I just mucked up the synergy in my system a bit?

ZLTFUL

Yeah...you're going to need some burn in time. Just play it on low volume for as many hours a day as you can for a bit.

Inspector 24

I thought I'd do just that, perhaps the HSU test disc on repeat for a couple days straight, it's got a wide range of music, pink noises, bass frequencies, should work pretty nicely.

EDIT: Just had a nice conversation with Rick at Big Sky Audio, he said they run the units fairly hard for a couple days to make sure everything is working great before they ship them out so burn in isn't much of an issue if at all, he said plug it in, turn it up and enjoy. Knowing that I may just be hearing the different sonic character of this amp in conjunction with the A9's...So I may be more clearly hearing the A9's weaknesses? Either way I will give it and myself more time to burn in.

They adjsut the DC Bias, and take a day to do it so the amp is nice and warm when they do. Awesome.

He said his modifications are 100% John Curl approved! And suggested that even the Halo series could benefit from some of the same modifications, all of which end up in the 3500.

Power cords he made are 12ga where the OEM's are 14ga, so nice little upgrade there. When asked about different power cords he said some customers like them, some don't, suggested I try for myself to know, either way this cord is enough for all the current this amp could draw.

Very nice of him to take time out of his day to chat.

msg

Inspector 24 wrote: »

Here's my initial notes, keep in mind this is a unit that had about an hour of play time after modification and has brand new power cords made by Rick at Big Sky, so my thoughts may change as it burns in.

Early impressions
Treble is somewhat grainy on some things, harsh, not necessarily brighter though, also sounds more accurate and revealing
Some midrange sounds a little stuffy
Bass seems a little thin
Center image is awesome, imaging within speakers is very good
Soundstage is no wider than speakers

Are all of these observations significantly different than you were used to with your previous 3500, or do you think it would be difficult to tell them apart in a blind test?

have you been comfortable with music on your A9's and your previous 3500?

JayCee

I'd give it some time to settle in. If I had to say two things about my 1500A's...they're very detailed and not lacking in bass. I've never heard the A9's, so can't comment on them. I've found that changing out different amps made me play around with positioning my SDA's with respect to 1) sound stage and 2) bass.

F1nut

He said his modifications are 100% John Curl approved! And suggested that even the Halo series could benefit from some of the same modifications, all of which end up in the 3500.

A little history for you. Curl and company took the 3500, upgraded the heck out of it to make the single chassis BBQ amp, which later became the Halo JC1 monoblocks.

JayCee

Also, the amps sound better after they've warmed up for a while.

Inspector 24

Msg, yes, this is as compared to the OEM 3500. I still want to listen to more music and if I get the chance do an A/B comparison as I feel my early impressions with such little listening time are premature. I may be mistaking what I'm hearing in the treble for detail, may be mistaking the bass for more definition and tightness. They may just need more burn in, and I may just need more listening time.

That said the differences are not HUGE, but I may also not have the associated gear to fully take advantage of the improvements, IE OEM A9's, a Marantz AVR as a pre/pro, and admittedly low end cables.

That said it's going to be a fun adventure continuing to maximize this setup with the A9's before I move on.

F1, I know a tiny bit about the BBQ, something like a $10k mono block?