Pre amp for Parasound 2200 II

Stick with your PLD-2000. I don't think you can necessarily better it within your price range.

Timo,

Thanks for your response. How about if I raise the price to $1500 (used)? Any ideas about a better preamp? Anyone?

Rick

In my system, I preferred the Parasound PLD-2000 to the Adcom GFP-750 as well as a couple of more expensive solid-state line stages. I also preferred the Parasound to two tube preamps I used for some time, that I won't name. One cost $3000 and the other $4000. The Parasound had more power at the frequency extremes and is actually very transparent throughout the audible range. Perhaps you could find a preamp between $3k and $4k to outperform it, but offhand I think it would be difficult...

If there is something or some quality in your system that displeases you, then perhaps something else in the chain is to blame. Other than that, the PLD-2000 sounds its best after about 4 days of warm up and should be left powered up all the time. It is one of the best bang-for-the-buck components I've ever had the pleasure to run across.

You may like the combination of having a tube preamp with the SS amp. Many people have found that it does alot more for the sound than a SS preamp. Smoothes out the sound and makes it richer, this qualities in various degrees from slight(Audio Research late models) to very euphonic. Personally I think it's the best of both worlds.

I tried a Parasound amp with my Berning TF-10 tubed preamp, and i liked it a lot...I dont remember which Parasound it was...but its worth looking into.

What all ways is the Parasound PLD-2000 sonically superior to the Adcom GFP-750?

im thinking of running to 2200 11 the same way ,what speakers are you running ,are you running them in balanced,and what way have you wired speakers ? bywire?

I am using Ohm Acoustics Model I speakers, purchased new in 1980 and recently upgraded with new drivers. (www.ohmspeakers.com) They are 4 way bi-wireable speakers capable of handling alot of power.

I was using the Parasound 2200II amplifiers, set up in mono, one amp for each channel, two sets of speaker cables from each amp into each speaker (vertically bi-amped and bi-wired)), and a PLD-2000 preamp. I tried the Adcom GFP-750, but prefered the sound of the PLD-2000.

I have no complaints about the Parasound system. It was inexpensive (about $2000 total) and sounded very nice. It worked just great. I got the upgrade bug and bought the Odyssey Audio Extreme Mono Blocks and a Tempest preamp (new), based on glowing reviews about the Odyssey products. I like this system's sound better than the Parasound, more detailed and transparent, but it cost about twice as much as the Parasound system. I'm currently in the process of breaking the Odyssey system in. I still have my Parasound system, just in case. I'm not ready to let go of it just yet.

Have Fun!
Rick