2. analog
  3. 164286-1665

Best integrated for my purposes - help me choose 1 of 3!

I did a bunch of research over the weekend and narrowed down choices.  My requirements:  2 channel amp that integrates well with my LS50 - ideally with HT Bypass.  The Ls50s are also part of my HT system.  I can use HT Bypass to send L/R to a 2 channel amp where all of my analog sources are pluged-in.    

1. Outlaw Audio 2160II  ($1k)
2. Parasound Hint6        ($3k)
3. Yamaha A-S1200 (or 2200) ($2-$3.5)

Ok, so right off the bat, the Outlaw will need a 2 amp / 1 speaker switcher - something from Niles maybe.  For $1k it's hard not to consider.  The Parasound is probably the most well recommended of all the choices - it's solid performer.  Yamaha - buy once / cry once.  I'd get years of use with the Yamaha even after the KEFs have been upgraded.

Cost is part of the consideration...  Does the Parasound sound 3x better, not sure, but probably not.  Yamaha 2x better?  Maybe, I've never read a bad review.  Steve Gutenberg suggests that the Outlaw is *very* good bang for buck!  

Thoughts?  
128x128martinman
hudsonhawk
137 posts
 
Why not a Hegel? You should be able to get an H200 or similar on the used market, checks all your boxes. Over performers for the money.
gdnrbob
4,411 posts
 
An Ayre AX-7e is 1.5K$
B
atl4love
91 posts
 
I have own both parasound halo and yahama as2100 .. I will take Yamaha over parasound halo any day ! Yamaha sound was more defined and detail sounding more than parasound plus Yamaha tent to toward tube sound while parasound tent to ss sounding !
ataraxia's avatar
ataraxia
38 posts
 
I think a personal demo is in order and vote Yamaha.  
helomech
1,521 posts
 
Hardly true in the yamaha argument parasound uses very high quality parts and they are designed by John cure a genius in circuit design
It is indeed true. The Yamahas employ Nichicon and Chemi-Con caps. The Hint has cheap Taiwanese caps. Parasound reserves the top- shelf parts for their higher-priced Halo products. They at least had the sense to replace the cheap Alps pot with a better volume control in the Hint6.

I owned the original Hint, and while it sounded good, it also sounded unremarkable, rather boring and homogeneous within a few tracks. The A-S1100 produces a wider/deeper soundstage, more fleshed-out tone, slightly deeper bass and greater resolution. That last advantage was probably due to the much lower noise floor. However, that might not have carried over to the new models, since they’ve switched to toroid transformers that have a hard time handling any DC offset on the mains.


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