Next move from Parasound HINT?


I appreciate all input and experiences…I am considering moving up from my Parasound Halo Integrated.  My hope is for better sound quality, particularly with vinyl.

My current configuration is:

1) Anthem MRX 1120 AVR for Home theater (11.1)

2) Parasound HINT to power my fronts (B&W 702 S2) and my subwoofer (SVS PB-3000) and for vinyl playback (Thorens TD-160 Super, Dynavector XX2 cart)

3) Parasound JC3+ Phono Preamp

 

Needs for Integrated Amp:

1) more refined musicality for analog playback - I listen to a lot of rock, particularly hard rock, progressive and metal.  However, I listen to a range of music, as well…from classical to trip hop to new wave…I just want to to really wow me with soundstage, separation, clarity and punch.

2) Home Theater bypass capability - onboard bass management is a plus

3) Balanced In / Balanced Out

4) L/R Speaker / Sub outputs

 

Do not need:

1) onboard phono stage

2) A whole bunch of digital inputs

3) USB

 

Thank you all in advance for any helpful opinions!

tgterm

@usualsuspectx your setup sounds pretty close to where I was thinking I should go from my Parasound HINT.  Why did you prefer the NAIM over the Hegel?  Are you using a sub when you listen to vinyl?

Lots of options to process…thanks for taking the time, all!

@alucard19 your suggestion is intriguing, but I am not sure I have the shelf height for that amp.  Is it complicated to move from Home Theater config to 2.1 music with this setup?

@geof3 I love the B&Ws.  I have found that no matter what floor standers I am using, I prefer a little extra oomph from my sub when listening to music.  Sometimes it is necessary to feel the bass…

and, I agree with your comments on not moving to separates…a whole other ball of complexity…and space that I really don’t have, unfortunately.  

FWIW, I heard Hegel H390, Naim Supernait 3, and Luxman 590AXII a couple of years ago. I ended up buying the Luxman (bought a used one, new was too expensive for my pocketbook), which was amazing! Had I not bought the Luxman, Hegel would have been next on my list. For some reason, I could not warm up to Naim S3. It definitely had a preppy (I think they call it PRAT) presentation that I found to be a little too much for my taste. Of course this is a very subjective opinion, but I feel that B&W voices their speakers also on the ’preppy’ side of things, and pairing them with Naim might be too much of a good thing. IMO Hegel 390 with the damping factor is a better choice for your speakers.