Parasound P6 or ??

pkquat

I currently have a Parasound P5 and like its input versatility. Key features besides good sound and balanced out are digital input and HT pass thru. I figure the DAC is better than a 30 yr old CD player, or cheaper CD player, and I can connect a streamer or other digital source. Reviews and comments here say the P6 is better than the P5. A P6 is offered near me for $1100, maybe $1000 if I am lucky. I am not sure if it is worth the upgrade price at this time. I may even keep the P5 as a secondary system pre-amp.

Any other better used options to keep an eye out for?

I recently got my McCormack amp and it has been everything I thought it would be and more. Speakers are currently fully modded 2.3TLs.

joecoulson

I am thoroughly enjoying my P6
It’s bass management, amazing volume control and great SQ make it something I don’t think about upgrading much.
The HT bypass is such a great option and very necessary for my system.
Worth $1100 jump for sure. Especially when you should be able to get at least halfway there selling the P5 (should you decide to let go)

afterburnt

I had to get something better than the P5 DAC I didn't like it at all. Otherwise it's a great piece of gear. The phono stage was lacking too. I understand that the P6 improved on both.

joecoulson

And to be totally transparent, I don’t use either the DAC or the Phono.

rburgess714

If you don’t have a dedicated streamer and or DAC for the price of the P6 upgrade I would consider keeping the P5 and getting a CA 851N or CXN v2. Great streamers with plenty of digital inputs that you connect all your digital sources to. I think the major improvement of the P6 is improved DAC and volume control?

audioluvr

Maybe this and a good DAC?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/SONIC-FRONTIERS-LINE-1-VACUUM-TUBE-STEREO-PRE-AMPLIFIER-MINT-REMOTE-REBUILT/254199128995?hash=item3b2f72e3a3:g:Y6IAAOSwdxJapBpC

pkquat

I should have put a budget on my thoughts, and as I look at it further, maybe take streaming out of it and just say a DAC+preamp combo or all in one for under ~$1500. Right now phono is not super important to me.

@rburgess714 The Cambridge units are very nice. I have been wishing for something like that, but I wish they had additional analog inputs and an HT bypass. I see they have a USB storage input, but I only found reference to a thumb drive. Do you know if they support portable HD's? Some similar devices don't have enough power, or have issues with the size.

I also now realized most AVRs don't have a digital out any more. I had thought I could use an AVR for a streaming interface, and probably an audio library and then connect it to a DAC, but it looks like that is no longer possible. TBH streaming from Spotify etc. is not really on my radar yet, it is more my own library on a portable HD.

@afterburnt what didn't you like about the P5 DAC? Was it truely the DAC or also the analog section? What did you go with instead? Have you heard a P6?

audioluvr

Okay so just keep looking. Be patient and something with find you ( or visa versa) look for 6SN7 or 12AU7 tube pre's. Tubes are cheap and sound good. Tons of them out there if you wait. My system sounds great with a cheap DAC. Far better with a good one

afterburnt

pkquat wrote: »

@afterburnt what didn't you like about the P5 DAC? Was it truly the DAC or also the analog section? What did you go with instead? Have you heard a P6?

The P5 DAC didn't play well with LSiM 707 I thought I just didn't like the speaker. If memory serves me I liked the Oppo 103 better than the P5. I tried a few other DACs and really wasn't satisfied until I started running a Cambridge CXNv2.

I have never had my ears on the P6.

PS The CXNv2 will support a portable HD.

invalid

audioluvr wrote: »

Okay so just keep looking. Be patient and something with find you ( or visa versa) look for 6SN7 or 12AU7 tube pre's. Tubes are cheap and sound good. Tons of them out there if you wait. My system sounds great with a cheap DAC. Far better with a good one

I totally agree with this statement, I would definitely look for a 6sn7 tube preamp. They sound better to me than any solid state preamps in the same price range, you have to spend substantially more to get comparable sound from a solid state preamp.

marvda1

https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/192050/don-sachs-model-2-tube-preamp#latest

invalid

The Don Sachs model 2 would be an excellent choice

rburgess714

pkquat wrote: »

I should have put a budget on my thoughts, and as I look at it further, maybe take streaming out of it and just say a DAC+preamp combo or all in one for under ~$1500. Right now phono is not super important to me.

@rburgess714 The Cambridge units are very nice. I have been wishing for something like that, but I wish they had additional analog inputs and an HT bypass. I see they have a USB storage input, but I only found reference to a thumb drive. Do you know if they support portable HD's? Some similar devices don't have enough power, or have issues with the size.

I may have not been very clear but I was suggesting keep the P5 and adding the Cambridge 851N as your digital front end, connecting to the P5, as I think the DAC would equal if not best the P6 DAC. It has digital inputs galore and a great streamer. I am not sure how it would work with a portable HD.

afterburnt

I can't imagine it wont work with a portable HD since it works great with the CXNv2. @pkquat I run my P5 in a kind of Hybrid system (I still haven't hooked up the surrounds) with the above streamer and I am pretty happy with it. The 851N has got those "Beefy Guts" and I am tempted to move up to it one of these days but the CXN has really surpassed my expectations.

jdjohn

Well yeah [cough], that Don Sachs tube pre would be a great choice Also, the PS Audio Stellar Gain DAC/Pre might be an option to consider. The DAC is quite sufficient, plus it has balanced input/output options, great volume knob and remote control.

markmarc

I have the P6, it's a nice preamp, no doubt about. But if I had to do it over, I'd have passed and continued to use my Simaudio HAD230 DAC as a pre. My reasoning is that the internal DAC, while nice, is not close to what the Simaudio provides. Save your $$ and get an off board quality DAC.

joecoulson

^ I would have to agree here. The P6 is a great pre for me, but I do not use the onboard DAC. So if given the choice between a new P6 or a sep DAC, I would go the latter first. Keep the P5 (for now)