Parasound 1500a

minime
minime Posts: 42
edited February 2005 in Speakers
after i installed the amp, i didn't really see all that much difference in the sound or a boost in power. using it with my HT setup its like it sounded better without a amp,no difference in power either. I know the amp is working because the speakers are hooked to the amp,am i missing something here.I noticed a difference in sound to with the bi-wire.i get better HT sound with the bi-wire
Post edited by minime on
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  • minime
    minime Posts: 42
    edited February 2005
    sorry i meant to say i got better sound without the bi-wire.:confused:
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  • McLoki
    McLoki Posts: 5,231
    edited February 2005
    What kind of cables do you have hooking your AVR to your amp? I do think there is a steep point of diminishing returns on cables (just an opinion), but the difference between even a cheap set of BlueJeans or signal cable compared to what comes with a CD or DVD player is HUGE.......

    Other than that - what AVR are you comparing the amp to? Does your amp have output levels that you can set on it? If so, are they maxed?

    Does it sound the same as your avr, not as loud, not as clear, etc?

    Michael

    Also - what speakers are you running it with?
    Mains.............Polk LSi15 (Cherry)
    Center............Polk LSiC (Crossover upgraded)
    Surrounds.......Polk LSi7 (Gloss Black - wood sides removed and crossovers upgraded)
    Subwoofers.....SVS 25-31 CS+ and PC+ (both 20hz tune)
    Pre\Pro...........NAD T163 (Modded with LM4562 opamps)
    Amplifier.........Cinepro 3k6 (6-channel, 500wpc@4ohms)
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  • minime
    minime Posts: 42
    edited February 2005
    AVR Denon 3802- monster cables for bi-wire and amp and it sounds about the same or i would say it sounded better without the amp. fronts are RTI 12 ,Fxi5,csi5
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,734
    edited February 2005
    While I recognize we all hear differently I'd have to say something is amiss with the amp or associated gear/wires.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • AsSiMiLaTeD
    AsSiMiLaTeD Posts: 11,728
    edited February 2005
    that amp is a PIECE...

    You should box it up and send it over to me immediately before it does any damage to your system:D :D
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  • McLoki
    McLoki Posts: 5,231
    edited February 2005
    Originally posted by minime
    AVR Denon 3802- monster cables for bi-wire and amp and it sounds about the same or i would say it sounded better without the amp. fronts are RTI 12 ,Fxi5,csi5

    From the few reviews I have read, you should be noticing a pretty big difference with the RTI 12 even at lower volumes. (In the bass impact)

    If you hook up the RTI 12 and run the AVR in direct mode (no processing - stereo) and play music - does it still sound the same or better than doing the same thing with the amplifier?

    Do you have an SPL meter from radio shack? Does it actually read the same level of output if you run the sound level adjustments in the AVR? (or music of your choice played at the same volume level (number))

    I would call Parasound and see what they say. Maybe you got a bad amp. Have you heard this amp with other speakers and liked it or were you just seeing if it made a difference with your setup? (no issues either way - just asking) If you purchased the amp locally, take your AVR in and hook it up to their system. See if you (or they) can tell a difference with your Denon compared to the Parasound.

    The difference will not be huge at lower levels, but as you turn it up, the sound should get not just louder but more and more clear.

    Michael
    Mains.............Polk LSi15 (Cherry)
    Center............Polk LSiC (Crossover upgraded)
    Surrounds.......Polk LSi7 (Gloss Black - wood sides removed and crossovers upgraded)
    Subwoofers.....SVS 25-31 CS+ and PC+ (both 20hz tune)
    Pre\Pro...........NAD T163 (Modded with LM4562 opamps)
    Amplifier.........Cinepro 3k6 (6-channel, 500wpc@4ohms)
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  • Mike Reeter
    Mike Reeter Posts: 4,315
    edited February 2005
    I have basicly the same set-up as you do.Denon 3803,same as 3802...The Denon by itself handled the 12's very well,when adding an external amp/amps the 12's REALLY opened up and started amazing me all over again...

    I don't have the same quality amp as you do,but for HT the Adcoms work good enough...You SHOULD notice a big difference in the 12's performance especially when having a 2-channel playback...Something is just not right...
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  • faster100
    faster100 Posts: 6,124
    edited February 2005
    Now im not assuming the audio knowledge that he has, BUt years back when i got my first power amp (M-504 onkyo) i couldnt tell a difference between it and my avr, I was familiar with audio for some years, But not really into it as i am now.. Now i can tell alot better between amps, pre's ... as i grew my audio know how i learned to listen better... Maybe its the case here.. maybe its all fine and just doesnt notice a difference that is truely there... Just my .02 cents... FWIW

    Oh and by the way, i had an integra at the time and now have a denon 3803 so it was similiar gear as well...
    MY HT RIG:
    Sherwood p-965
    Sherwood sd871 dvd
    Rotel 1075 amp x5
    LSI15 mains
    LsiC center
    LSIfx surround backs
    Lsi7 side surrounds
    SVS pb12/plus2

    2 Channel Rig:

    nad 1020 Pre-amp
    Rotel 1080 stereo amp
    Polk sda 2B
    kenwood grunt Tuner
    realistic lab 450 TT
    Signal cable IC
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  • Mike Reeter
    Mike Reeter Posts: 4,315
    edited February 2005
    When I say the 12's REALLY opened up,I don't mean LOUDER,I'm talking about more depth and clarity,and just plain better reproduction of sound all the way around...Maybe the problem is that he's just expecting too much...Looking for more of increase in Volume and not hearing the difference in the "Sound"
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  • Early B.
    Early B. Posts: 7,900
    edited February 2005
    Check the speaker setup in your receiver.
    HT/2-channel Rig: Sony 50” LCD TV; Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player; Emotiva LMC-1 pre/pro; Rogue Audio M-120 monoblocks (modded); Placette RVC; Emotiva LPA-1 amp; Bada HD-22 tube CDP (modded); VMPS Tower II SE (fronts); DIY Clearwave Dynamic 4CC (center); Wharfedale Opus Tri-Surrounds (rear); and VMPS 215 sub

    "God grooves with tubes."
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  • cfrizz
    cfrizz Posts: 13,415
    edited February 2005
    I got ALL the above Mike, and I have the same receiver & amp.
    He should have instantly noticed an increase in depth, clarity & loudness. The difference was huge.

    Originally posted by Mike Reeter
    When I say the 12's REALLY opened up,I don't mean LOUDER,I'm talking about more depth and clarity,and just plain better reproduction of sound all the way around...Maybe the problem is that he's just expecting too much...Looking for more of increase in Volume and not hearing the difference in the "Sound"
    Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2
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  • Mike Reeter
    Mike Reeter Posts: 4,315
    edited February 2005
    I have to agree!!!
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  • minime
    minime Posts: 42
    edited February 2005
    For 800- 1000 dollars i expected something alot better than what i bought. I listen to both Denon and with parasound and theres not that much difference .The Denon drives these speakers just as good as the parasound and thats why im returning the amp, i can think of alot of other things to buy:cool:
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited February 2005
    You should return the amp immediately, and never spend money on quality audio again.

    Thanks for stopping by, and I personally LOVED your "demo" and "thoughts".
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,734
    edited February 2005
    There is NO way that any AVR's amps are anywhere close in sound quailty to a separate amp of that quality. Maybe there is a problem with the amp, is it new or used? Maybe the "M" interconnect cables are the problem, what model are they? Maybe you need to adjust the gain levels on the back of the amp, have you? Maybe you run the AVR hot and then flat with the amp hooked up, do you? Maybe you need to recalibrate your settings after hooking up the amp, have you? Maybe you have the amp plugged into the back of the AVR, do you?

    There are many things you can check or do before throwing your hands up and saying the AVR sounds better without the amp hooked up and I'm just going to return it. What you're saying defies all logic and the basics of audio, so get to work and figure out what the problem is.
    Political Correctness'.........defined

    "A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."

    President of Club Polk

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  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited February 2005
    minime. i'm just curious as to how long you've had your Denon 3802? weeks, months, years?

    the reason I ask this... is because it took me several months (like 8+ or more) of mixing and matching cables, wires, etc. before I could really hear the differences in my amps. I immediately noticed the increase in power. but it was down the road a ways before I could really appreciate it's (the amps) definition and increase in clarity.

    it also takes some time to fine tune your ears to what good sound/audio is. The first time I hooked up my receiver to the speakers.. I thought it sounded pretty good. BUt after several months.. it became more clear.. as I learned (on here) what good high quality music should sound like.

    Like a lot people in here.. we're still all tweaking our systems to make them ever better. So give the amp a chance. External amps will most always sound better than the amps from any receiver.
    PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
    Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
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