2. amps-preamps
  3. 156635-7350

Good cheap amplifiers like Parasound HCA series?

I've got $400-$500 to spend on an amplifier.  I was planning on finding a used Parasound HCA-1500 (they're out there) to push a pair of 4 ohm Polk Lsi9 speakers.  I had that setup before, several years ago, and it worked great; amplifiers and speakers came and went, but now I'm putting together a rig with those speakers, a Marantz cd player, and (for now) a Parasound P/HP-850 preamp.
Like I said, I had that setup before (different pre), and it sounded great.  It's not the high-end rig.  I want to go back to the Parasound HCA-1500 because it pushed the 4 ohm Polks really, really well.  They sounded great together.  I preferred the HCA to Adcoms that I had previously used, which I found grainy.  The Parasound HCA-1500 had the brawn to move the Polks, but it also had less of an edge than most solid states.  It's a nice combination.  But Parasound HCAs are getting long in the tooth.  Are there other used solid state amplifiers that have the Parasound HCA sound and electrical grunt, cost $400-500, and might not be as close to needing repair?  Thanks for help.
bthogan

Showing 1 response by bthogan

bthogan OP
38 posts
 
Thanks for replies!  Condition of amp is my primary concern; I'm willing to pay more for a healthier amplifier.  I really do get the feeling that there isn't another >$500 used solid state amp with as much grunt and finesse as one of the higher-wattage HCAs (e.g. 1500).  I'm pretty sure that all that power is what enabled it to sound so good with the power-hungry Polks - detail, depth, confident transients.  It really was an ideal pairing.
I've looked at the New Classics a lot.  I think that my feeling was that they're underpowered.  The system is basically built around the Polks: really good bookshelves that need a lot of electricity.  The 1500 is 205w @ 8 ohms, 315 @ 4 ohms, with 60 amp peak per channel.  It really drove the Polks like no other amp I've owned (including various Adcoms).  I'm not sure the New Classics have that grunt, but I'm gonna take another look.
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