2. home-theater
  3. 182478-161686

HT Bypass from Parasound or NAD?

Can't bring myself to get rid of my AVR for home theater. A few TV shows and an occasional movie are all it's used for, but still, it sounds great when I do use it. So, to improve on my music listening I need a good stereo amp with HT bypass. My AVR being a NAD T758, I thought the NAD C268 or C298 would be great for driving my mains (Harbeth P3s). But then the Parasound NewClassic 200 caught my eye. I like its form factor and features, it's also a class D amp. Are there are current NAD or Parasound 200 users who can share their experience if using in an HT system? Thanks in advance!

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Showing 1 response by soix

soix
8,680 posts
 

So, to improve on my music listening I need a good stereo amp with HT bypass.

No, you don’t need a stereo amp, you need a stereo integrated amp.  Why?  The preamp section of your AVR sucks, so just replacing the amp only gets you halfway there.  Buy a good integrated amp with HT bypass and run the front L/R preouts from your AVR into it and you’ll get a much better result.  Also, no stereo amps have an HT bypass — only stereo preamps or integrateds can do that.  Best of luck. 

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