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!
@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. |
@tgterm the Hegel was great sounding, but it picked up a buzz at a certain time of day and I could look down inside of it and hear it coming from the transformer. It may have been a faulty unit, but I was looking for perfection when I was about to drop that kind of cash. It was probably some sort of interference coming through the power lines (may not have been the unit at all). All the units you are considering are awesome and you can’t go wrong with any of them. |
