Parasound AVC2500u...NO Analog 5.1 upgrade...no DolbyTrueHD/DTSHD with HDDVD/BD!!!

Ethancf

So I feel like I need to start a fire, and hopefully this will draw attention to the Parasound AVC-2500u owners that are wanting to take advantage of upgrading to HD DVD or Blu-ray and getting the benefit of Dolby TrueHD and/or DTS HD MA.

I have a 7 year old Parasound 2500u that I purchased and have been absolutely in love with it since the day I bought it. The player had everything I wanted, and also sports 5.1 analog inputs...specifically designed for future technology...DVD Audio, SACD, and now with HD DVD and Blu-ray, the new Dolby TrueHD/DTSHD MA formats as they cannot be passed via optical or digital coax.

My preamp has these 5.1 analog connections. So I get a new Toshiba XA2...and they aren't working. I go to their website and see the following STILL CURRENTLY under the optional upgrades:

http://www.parasound.com/vintage/avc2500u.php

Specifically: http://www.parasound.com/pdfs/vintage/5_1vcinstructions.pdf

I call their support as I am totally willing to purchase this since I want my shiny new XA2 to play the new surround formats.

After trading many emails back and forth with the technicians and the CEO Richard Schram, I am told that I missed the deadline to upgrade by only a few weeks and that I cannot get one any longer. Too bad...sorry. So essentially, I ended up paying 3 grand for the analog connections, but not the functionality? They said the company that builds the module is now out of business too...as of only a few weeks ago. Give me a **** break! Nobody on the planet makes this volume card and not ONE can be found anywhere? There are a lot of 2500 owners that are going to now be VERY interested in this upgrade with the new HD DVD players and will want to take advantage of the future proofing that they supposedly paid for! I'm one of them!

Please respond to this message, and call Parasound inquiring about this problem. They have lost MAJOR credibility with me and will with many other owners as well when they hear the bad news!

Spam this message round the world Parasound AVC 2500u owners! :mad:

66chevyIISS

damn that really sucks. Sorry to hear that. You would think they would honor you after speaking with the CEO.

snow

I also feel your pain regarding this and sympathize with you on this, but a product that is 7 years old and no longer has the options you wanted available is not that surprising. And if the oem supplier no longer makes this they cant be blamed for this its not like they have control over it.

What I can suggest is this. Sell your parasound for whatever its retail value is and buy a lexicon DC-1 DC-2 MC-1 then purchase the 7.1 analog bypass upgrade available from shawn fogg for $175.00 available on ebay audiogon or the lexicon forum. This way you will be able to enjoy any of the formats available via analog inputs from your source.

I realize this is not the same as having your parasound but the cheapest alternative that I am aware of and you will be getting a high quality pre/pro the MC-1 sold orginally in 1999 for $6000.00

Be aware there are several versions of these pre/pros out there the newest version is 4.0 and I would be certain that I got one with this version installed if I went with this option.

Here are a couple links to a MC-1 on audiogon and the analog bypass upgrade available.

http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?homeproc&1198167588
http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?homeproc&1197212502


REGARDS SNOW