Finally got my amp back from the shop, but can this be right?

muncybob
muncybob Posts: 3,042
in 2 Channel Audio
The Parasound HCA1000 will be back in the mix tonight. The power switch went bad. After replacing he tested and did some measurements. I'm fairly sure it is rated at 110/w per channel both driven? He indicated that it is 159 both driven. If he had told me something like 125 I would not have thought anything about it, but is 159 versus 110 a bit unusual?
Yep, my name really is Bob.
Parasound HCA1500A(indoor sound) and HCA1000(outdoor sound), Dynaco PAS4, Denon DP1200 w/Shure V15 Type V and Jico SAS stylus, Marantz UD7007, Polk L600, Rythmik L12 sub.
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Comments

  • Polkie2009
    Polkie2009 Posts: 3,834
    !59 wrms at 8 ohms Bob? If so, that's sweet!
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  • motorhead43026
    motorhead43026 Posts: 3,897
    edited September 2015
    That does not surprise me at all. My A23 in a lab test rated 159w at 8 ohm, 2 channel.
    Parasound obviously sandbags their specs. Good stuff Parasound produces. Funny that it is the exact same number.
    The best way to predict the future is to invent it.

    It is imperative that we recognize that an opinion is not a fact.
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  • Polkie2009
    Polkie2009 Posts: 3,834
    H-K used to sandbag their power amp's wpcrms output also, gotta love that. :)
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  • teekay0007
    teekay0007 Posts: 2,289
    muncybob wrote: »
    The Parasound HCA1000....fairly sure it is rated at 110/w per channel both driven? He indicated that it is 159 both driven.

    Sounds about right, just like my Carver TFM-24 was rated at 225 wpc and my tech told me it could do about 130 wpc! :(

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  • Polkie2009
    Polkie2009 Posts: 3,834
    What happened TK?
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  • teekay0007
    teekay0007 Posts: 2,289
    Polkie2009 wrote: »
    What happened TK?

    Don't know. It didn't have any known issues. That's just what my tech said, and showed me, the output was. That was a less than impressive amp for me. I have never seemed to have much luck with Carver, overall. I ended up selling the TFM-24 to a friend at a great discount from the 'going rate'. He really likes the way it performs with his gear. :|

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  • Polkie2009
    Polkie2009 Posts: 3,834
    edited September 2015
    Wow, were some of the power transistors fried or something that would cause the power output to be so low? I looked at a few reviews of that amp and it's sister the tfm25 , most folks seem to say they had a nice warm sound to them.
    Post edited by Polkie2009 on
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,554
    teekay0007 wrote: »
    Sounds about right, just like my Carver TFM-24 was rated at 225 wpc and my tech told me it could do about 130 wpc! :(

    I'm not surprised. I've never heard a Carver SS amp that sounded like it was producing it's rated power.

    Political Correctness'.........defined

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  • daddyjt
    daddyjt Posts: 2,507
    This is easy to determine - you need a DMM, a tone generator, and an 8 (or 4) ohm resistive load, and an o-scope. Hook up your resistive load, clip your o-scope leads to the binding posts, input your signal and increase volume to clipping. Then measure AC voltage at the binding posts.

    Power in watts = voltage squared/resistance

    I just measured a CarverM500t mkII that I finished the other night - 64volts at clipping:

    64 squared = 4,096 / 8 ohms = 512 watts. (Both channels driven).
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  • muncybob
    muncybob Posts: 3,042
    Polkie2009 wrote: »
    !59 wrms at 8 ohms Bob? If so, that's sweet!

    Yep, 159 at 8 ohms, .013 thd in left and .010 thd in right. Not sure if these are good number but for me, this amp paired with the Pas4 tube pre is hard to be at the price point.
    Yep, my name really is Bob.
    Parasound HCA1500A(indoor sound) and HCA1000(outdoor sound), Dynaco PAS4, Denon DP1200 w/Shure V15 Type V and Jico SAS stylus, Marantz UD7007, Polk L600, Rythmik L12 sub.
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  • Polkie2009
    Polkie2009 Posts: 3,834
    I guess anything less than 1% THD is considered decent, depending at which harmonic the reading was taken, or so I've heard before. Of course lower and equal THD is usually considered better I suppose. Then again there's IMD measurement that wasn't listed. Hey, if it sounds good to 'ya, you're doing good, plus you have a few extra watts you didn't know in the amp. :)
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