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Accuphase Vs Parasound

Hi guys! I’m considering purchasing a used E-560 for USD 4000 to drive my Elac Adante AS-61 (85dB) . Im quite new to this hobby, so I’m hoping to be able to get some advice from more experienced listeners here on this. Do share your thoughts. Thank you 🙏

Just some background, before I saw the E-560 on the used market, I was planning to go for Parasound Hint 6 or Parasound P6 pre and perhaps A21 / A21+ (that’s apparently coming out in a couple of months). Right now I’m just using a Yamaha Aventage rx-a1060 AVR so it’s not ideal for music listening.

adn_abdat

Showing 4 responses by auxinput

auxinput
2,921 posts
 
The Accuphase is engineered much better - discrete analog stages, fully balanced throughout, etc, etc.  Much better part components.  However, it is full Class A into 30 watts.
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Parasound INT is a jack-of-all-trades integrated that has every single feature you could think (phono input, bass management crossover, DAC, etc.).  It is Class A/AB, with a Class A bias somewhere in the 5-8 watt range.  It probably has more power than the Accuphase, but lower sound quality preamp for sure.  Parasound is going to be warm sounding as well, so it's difficult to tell which would "sound better" or "have more resolution".  I would probably hedge my bets on the Accuphase, unless you did not want such a heavy weight into the Class A sound.
auxinput
2,921 posts
 
Oh shoot, I did not catch that.  If you are using ELAC speakers (which sound excellent, but are very inefficient), you need serious amounts of power.  Yeah, go with the Parasound Integrated.
auxinput
2,921 posts
 
The HINT 6 integrated is basically the P6 preamp combined with the A23 amp boards plus a larger transformer.  That's why the power output is higher than A23.  The same goes for the original HINT and P5.  However, Parasound has made some changes for the P6 that include a new DAC chip (Sabre) and things such as updated volume stage and improved USB input.
auxinput
2,921 posts
 
@erik_squires - that's interesting that they would say that.  Based on pictures, it doesn't look like the preamp boards in the new HINT 6 are any different that what is placed in the normal P5/P6.  I suppose the preamp section would be better because it's fed by a linear power supply from that big transformer instead of the normal switching power supply in the P5/P6, unless Parasound decided to move to linear power supply on the P6.  There is additional circuits for the resistor-ladder volume control, of course.  However, the P6 weight is exactly the same as P5 weight, so I find it unlikely.
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The Zdac also has a full linear power supply, so it also makes sense that it would sound good, and probably better than the DAC/preamp in the P5/P6.
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