What a great video and one that matches my views of these components. Thank you for going to the trouble. It is much appreciated and greatly enjoyed

Please don't stop doing these I love it.

Very helpful discussion, thoughtful, in depth. Thank you.

A very informative vid, thank you. PS Audio and Parasound are amazing products for their ability to provide a glimpse into high-end audio for a very reasonable price.

Fascinating how changing up the speakers provides insight into their performance envelopes. Also I appreciate how the comments from everyone point to engagement with the music as the most important factor in deciding preferences. Personally, I I enjoy listening to my system almost as much as I enjoy listening to the music. Lately, I feel "transparency" is a fool's errand - sound signatures are inescapable, coloration to one degree or another is a fact of life, and often a part of the charm of a particular amp/source/speaker. Regardless, I think you guys are on the right track to create engagement with potential clients this way, in fact I think the survival of the brick and mortar operations like yours depends on how well they can leverage digital media like KZfaq.

Thks for the review, goes to show how subjective & personal each of us perceive the quality of sound reproduction. For me, getting connected to the music and organic is my preference, especially when it gives u goose bumps

I like the longer explanations with specific experiences you had: hearing/not hearing something that you know is on the recording, something that grabbed your attention, and such. It’s something we can try to listen for ourselves than the nebulous “transparent”, “bass extension”, “rolled off highs”, “organic” (absolutely the worst besides transparent), and such. I realize that speaking about listening to music is like writing about dancing, so any time someone can step outside of the same old terms, it’s a good thing.

Thanks guys from California. About to spend $4K US on a Stellar set and you helped me out even if it is slightly different. Cheers from the USA! KEEP THE VIDEOS LONG IF THEY ARE INFORMATIVE!

I’ve watched a number of videos from this channel and have noticed the host apologizing about the length of the videos. I actually find the discussions quite enjoyable that I fail to notice the length of any of the videos I’ve seen! This channel is one of the best on KZfaq that covers audiophile equipment!!! ☮️🖖🏽

This was very interesting information about sound comparison , but the explanation of what you hear is what was the interesting part. What you were all listening for out of each unit. The detail about the music explained a lot of the soundscape individuality of each unit . And seeing that comparisons all basically had the same opinion , I have a better understanding on what to listen for and better perspective of how to listen . Well I learned a lot. Thanks 😊

Thanks for posting this informative video

Another great video, keep up the good work. I would love to hear you guys speak on 'Musical Fidelity' integrated amps...specifically the M6si.

I love these videos!

Thanks for your critique. I enjoy a bit warmer sound in a solid state sx. I do fantasize about tube sx heard in SFBay shops that I'll never be able to afford (lol). I own the Parasound P5/A23 and follow all of PS Audio Paul's vlogs. Btw, I saw Jake as guest on Steve's Audiophiliac site and just subscribed to your channel. Great discussion. Length was NOT too long and I learned a lot from your effort. Thanks again.

Great video! If you guys are looking for future comparisons, the Parasound A21+ vs PS Audio M700's would be an interesting video. Both retail for about the same price ($3k USD).

very good review, huge Parasound fan myself, but I am sure the PS is great also.

I have the PS Audio Stellar Gain Preamp/Dac and am running it with a Primaluna Prologue Integrated amp through some Tannoy Revolution XT8 speakers. I love this system and it gives me everything I am looking for. I bought the PS Audio to replace an Emotiva preamp dac and the difference was immediate and stunning. The soundstage got way bigger and the imaging significantly improved as well.

It would be an awsome rounding excersice to use one pre amp with both amps to see what the preamps are doing. Then take the amps and use it with one preamp to see what differences are there That would wrap it up nicely

Just got in and hooked up Parasound A23+, Marantz 7T(Pre-Amp Recapped/Auricap XO Films, Takman Carbon Resistors), Focal Aria 926(speakers). Wonderful at this point but need 100+ hrs for burn in. Warm sounding with deep bass and detail in the sounds. I am a Tube guy so this setup is in my wheel house.

I just ordered a used Gaincell and a new Parasound A23+, they should be here next week. I heard this combo at a friends house with a pair of Zu Omen Dirty Weekend speakers that he let me purchase. This combination impressed me enough to purchase these two pieces. The DAC in the Gaincell sounded incredibly clean and detailed. Much better than my current Venus II 12th DAC.

Great video!🍸

Good review

I use the word "Organic" in many of my reviews and many customers in the 3 Audio stores I managed in the past really understood & connected with that word. "More life like or real, compared to a reproduction or recording". It's a great word and don't understand why it's frowned upon in this video. Don't be such a prude! LOL! Great video guys! 👌🎼✨

I respect the opinions and knowledge these guys share with us. When I was at university, my physics lecturer explained that he had insufficient time to cover the complete course and that we would need to do a lot of private studying. He set us a topic to research and study each week and expected us to write a 15 A4 sheet on each topic to prove we’d taken the knowledge on board. After about 6 months, she said that we should now be aware of the volume of knowledge she expected to absorb. She went on to say that we should condense our essays to around 6 A4 sheets but still retain the same amount of information. The way to achieve this is not to write a sentence unless it contains an appropriate fact. I enjoy your videos, but I do think you could start to reduce them from 15 pages to 6without losing any poignancy!

good details explanation...

Very good description of parasound, i have it and agree with everything. My speakers actually are in complete control of this uncontrolled base. Pmc rocks!!!

I'm curious to know if you used the stellar dac preamp on the parasound amp and vice versa.

Great review from two excellent products.

Class A/B vs Ice D. It would be very interesting to compare the P6 and GCD on the same amplifier. The amps here are radically different.

Great comparison. Adrian would like to see a Lumin vs Innuos comparison, how the two sound. Not much about the Lumin on KZfaq and saving up for a streamer and have been looking at these two. Thanks.

I own a Stellar Gain cell and Stellar S 300. I find them an excellent combination. The quality of the balanced interconnects between the two components make a very audible improvement. A few months ago I changed mine to Anti Cables 4.1 balanced and heard significant improvement in sound. I also found using one of Anti cables power cords improved the sound of the two components in my setup. As always, your mileage may vary.

its worth noting that the PS audio amp is using a class D power amp module from Ice power where as the Parasound is a Class A/AB design.

What a great conversation. I am actually looking for a modest amplifier to drive my new Wharfedale Evo 4.4's. I already have a home theater receiver so I'll be using the pre-outs for the main channel. I have to say the Parasound looks like it might be a good match. I've found the speakers lacking lower end with my current setup even though I know they can produce it. I'm still going to consider the Anthem MCA 225 as well, I just wish I could listen to them all side by side.

I would also add a dual-mono type integrated comparison such as Musical FidelityM8xi.

Parasound for me.

Thanks for the detailed review. I am wondering if you use the same interconnect and speakers cables for both combos when doing the comparison. Because I found cables make difference in sound, sometimes by very noticeable difference. Also, have tried to mix up the pre and power amp for the two combo, or ps audio pre with parasound power and vice verse. I am very curios what differences in the sound will the switches make. Would you get the same impressions as before? Thanks.

Hi Guys. I am new to your channel. I liked the review of PS Audio vs. Parasound. I love the group feedback on a system verses dialog. Keep it coming. I know any audio decision is ultimately up to my ear but I am looking for advice outside of the local sales people around here. I am currently battling a decision between the following speakers: First the horn types of which I am a huge fan of: Klipsch Forte III. JBL Studio 590 rare with cherry finish! Focal Chora 826. Monitor Audio Silver 500. I heard all of them, except for the JBL, but that's okay, I always liked JBL and this is the only brand speaker that I would buy blindly without an audition. I expect with the horns a tube amp or tube preamp with a SS amp would probably work well. I have always liked the pairing of tubes with Asian amps for some reason, especially Japanese. I currently have a vintage Mitsubishi DAA15DC amp that I can pair with a tube if needed for either the Klipsch or JBL. Concerning the Focal and Monitor Audio would the Parasound 2250 v2 be a good match? Would my Mitsubishi be a good match? I am concerned about the 3.3 Ohm dip the Focal's do because my vintage amp goes as low as 4 ohms. All these speakers are at minimum 90dB so I presume not "that" much power is needed to drive them, especially the Forte's and JBL's (6ohm/92dB). I was considering the Yamaha AS2200 for either the Focal or Monitor Audio or perhaps the JBL...maybe even the Forte's. But again, if I go for the Focal's, the 3.3 ohm dip is a concern even for the Yamaha AS2200, so perhaps the Parasound 2250 or even the PeachTree Nova 300 may be a better option for the Focal? Let me know what you think.

it depends on what speakers you are going to interface it with it is what set up makes the speakers happy in turn make customer happy

I like the way you all talk about the listening experience. I've had to make a lot of changes to my audio system in the last couple of years--the base system was nearly 30 years old, so even though I am buying entry level to midrange gear these days, it hasn't been a bad trade. Anyway, recently, my Bryston 3Bnrb amp blew a power transistor, which I'm told isn't available anymore. I can't get a response from Bryston. So, I am auditioning the PS Audio S300. I am curious to know what changed about the sound when it finally broke in? Also, does it make sense that my dual subwoofers have to have much more gain in order to present a deep low end? I had my subs at about 10 o'clock with the Bryston (rated at 144W(L) and 142W(R) ) and am currently at 12 o'clock with the S300 (140W). I know the Bryston was a much more powerful class B amp, and the subs were fast and deep, disappearing nicely into the soundstage. The subs are slower and less articulate in this class D amp, but at 12 o'clock they seem to significantly enlarge the musical presentation of the S300s. Does what I am describing make sense? Thank you to any who chose to comment.

Look forward to a PS Audio BHK300 vs Parasound JC1+ comparison 👍🏻

How about Hegel H190 vs the Parasound P6/A21 combo?

This was an excellent conversation and I really enjoyed listening to it. Regarding the P6/A23+ what do you think brings more warmth to the sound: the pre-amp or the amplifier? And if it's both, then how much do you think does each attribute warmth to the sound? Thank you!

Looking at this exact equipment to replace my worn out Adcom gear. Dont have luxury of comparison. Listening room, speakers and music selection are very different than reviewers. I think safe with either purchase.

And the winner? For me it’s the Parasound P6 Preamplifier. 2.1 means ALL music with deep bass sounds better than what’s delivered via 2 channel stereo unless to very, very expensive speakers.

A few years ago I purchased a Parasound A23 to drive my ML electrostatics which were also fed by a PS Audio Stellar Gain DAC. That combo sounded great to my ears. Recently I stopped by the same local Parasound dealer that I purchased the A23 from and to my good fortune he had an A21 demo store unit for a nicely discounted price in pristine condition. The A21 simply stated is much better overall than the A23. Make no mistake the A23 is a great amp and had no issues driving the ML's. But the A21 has a sweeter more robust sound. The PS Audio Stellar gain DAC is superb with a few minors cons but overall a great piece. My point is that the pairing of the A21 with the Stellar gain DAC is a really great combo. Further down the chain is a Small Green Computer setup using Qobuz & Roon. I can't imagine how great the Parasound JC5 or JC1+ sounds!!

I have the Stella Combo and I would like you to compare it with something twice as expensive, for instance the Hegel h390 which I am thinking of stepping up to. Is it worth the extra outlay? Or you could compare the Ps audio m700 stack with the Hegel h390.

In regard to the bloated bass sound of the Parasound, is that caused by the Parasound preamp or amp?

like your vids very much. as a canadian company, what do you think of Anthem and why do you not carry them?

My Vienna Acoustics concert grands, are known to be more laid back. Which I like. However would the PS audio move the sound to more bright?

1. For Vilip: Is there any other solid state gear in/near price range "the tube guy" likes better? 2. I chose parasound amp over PS audio (based on reviews and because I didn't want class D--PS audio). Sounds like I made correct decision.

Which of PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell DAC's three digital filter settings did you use? I'm curious because that's what I have.

I’m curious to know if you tried the ps audio preamp with the parasound amp. Or the parasound preamp with the ps audio amp?

Nice. You can add and Halo Hint6, thats you will get how diffrent integrated amp and separate? Its worth pay or not?

The intro got me drooling lol. I am currently looking at a pre amp to be connected to an Arcam p240 and monitor studio gx 200 gold speakers. Sources are tv (ouch), cd, some streaming for now. Honest question if the p6 would fit this. And also, it would replace an older Marantz av8003. So wondering if this is a good choice and an improvement. Cheers:)

I use a Rogue Audio rp5 driving a pair of stellar M700's and output those to a pair of Elac AF61's; for sources I use a Music Hall MMF-7 turntable and a PS Audio Dac that is driven by a mac mini using BitPerfect. The Elacs tend to be bright so I tamed them with a 1 ohm resistor in series with the high frequency drivers. I also have a pair of Sumiko S9 subs that I took a lot of care to blend with the Elacs so they don't stand out as the source when it comes to low bass.This gives me what I think is good sound in my 15x12x8 ft space. i would like to see a list of the recordings you think are useful to judge a systems performance.

SO WHICH ONE WIN?

Hello its Dimitris from Greece. I viewed with a lot of interest this video that is Very very enlightening about the character of these two pro- amp sets. I would like to ask you what do you think will be the best set for metal music. Thank you Very much and Keep up the good work. Greetings from Greece.

Does the Parasound A23 pair well with a Modwright tube preamp?

HELLO- WHICH AMP HAS THE BEST “SYNERGY” WITH THE SONETTO’S??? Or a tube amp????

Hey how about using the Denefrips Ares II and the comparing just a few amps like Parasound, PS audio, Pass Labs, monoprice, McIntosh, tubes etc in a massive amplifier shootout using the same speaker like Buchardt s400?

Welcome Vanessa

Boy ps audio & parasound are ferociously competitive. This is what I'd like to do. Parasound p6 preamplifier. Paired with ps audio stellar 700 mono blocks. Primare dd15 CD transport. All wired with audioquest cables. The best of all companies.

What are your favorite phono stages that support both MM and MC? $2000 - $4000 range.

If you want more control from Parasound, the A21+ amplifier cleans up all the nitpicks you mentioned. Tighter, more clarity, etc.

How much is Vilip's tube system? High-value gear like these need to be put in perspective IMO.

A few months back, I bought the Stellar GCD and the S300 power amp. I also auditioned the Parasound grouping as well. Yes, the Parasound had more bottom end, but the PS Audio was much more spacious. It's not that the PS Audio was lacking in bass but, as you said, it was much tighter. With my Monitor Audio Silver 300's the bass notes in "Thanks to you" by Boz Scaggs were certainly apparent. Another song I really like for spaciousness is "Love Song" by Elton John. Acoustic guitar comes in on the left channel, then Elton on the right. The harmonies fill the room when they come in and then a second acoustic comes in on the right. Really sounded like they were in the room with me. Love the PS Audio components!

Steven Wilson has some good albums to sample on a high end system.

What about using PS audio, Parasound or Hegel Amps for home theater, be better sound?

I might mate the a23+ with a fully recapped vintage Nikko Beta 20 to power my Ascend Acoustics Sierra 2ex Raal Ribon speakers. My Nikko amp is in need of attention. Do you think this is a possible good match?

Y'all should try playing Mickey Hart, Planet Drum CD. Particularly the song 'temple caves'

One of the problems with many who consider themselves audiophiles is that they don't tend to like music as it actually sounds. Most people I know who say they are audiophiles like systems that polish up grit that's actually there. That tighten up bass that was actually a bit fuzzy and rounds off the sharpness of many instruments and voices. They also often prefer a thinner sound that can reveal the micro-fine details a microphone catches but that would never be heard live. And that's fine but it's not reality. Several times in hi-fi stores I've played recordings where I actually sat in on the recording session and in almost every case the salesman or the customers in the store prefer the system that sounds as though it was recorded with the mic three inches from the players fingers with another mic three inches from their mouths. It wasn't and it didn't sound that way. They have no idea, of course, I was there with the band but boy do they have a lot of opinions about definition, clarity, tone, detail, you name it. Yep, they know all the terms. What they don't know is what the music actually sounded like live. Instead, they have their opinion and beliefs about how things should sound. Which are both fine but rarely are they accurate. Often times, actually most of the time, it's really not about accuracy but rather they way you want to hear things. Use what makes you happy and please understand that someones opinion of a product may not in any way represent how you will respond to the same product. It sounds simple but trust your ears and don't worry that someone who spent more money than you on audio says a piece of gear isn't all that. Because, A, that person doesn't know how you prefer to hear things. And B, that person rarely understands that the way they think something should sound often bears little resemblance to the way it actually does sound.

I have the PS Audio with Polk 705s, but I'm not hearing the door close on O Holy Night by Luciano Pavarotti

One thing I always have to ask is were these preamps broken in? I have read PSaudio SGC needs 200+ hours to break in? Thanks for the time to put this together. On Length well if the information is relevant who cares how long it is. When you are about to spend thousands of dollars on a piece of equipment all information is relevant

It helps to have a few perspectives with some common conclusions, like you all did ! Next would be power cords to taylor the sound. Very likely the two brands would sound even closer, along with a slight improvement.

Vilip's Tracks: Boz Scaggs from Dig - Thanks to You Kat Edmonson from Way Down Low - Lucky Gregory Porter from Liquid Spirit - Hey Laura Boston Symphony Orchestra, William Steinberg Cond. - Gustav Holst - The Planets - Jupiter, the bringer of Jollity Yazoo from Reconnected Live - Ode to Boy (Live) Jay's Tracks: Flight of the cosmic hippo - Béla Fleck, The Flecktones Hey Now - London Grammar My Favourite things - youn sun nah Hot Spade - Oh Jun Sung Adrian's tracks: Cowboy Junkies - The Trinity Session. Mining for Gold Christian McBride - Gettin' to It. Night Train Michael Brook - Soundtrack Albino Alligator Gary Karr - Adagio D'Albinioni Ryan Adams - Live at Carnegie Hall. Oh my Sweet Carolina Charles Dutoit, Montreal Symphony Orchestra. Manuel De Falla. Three Cornered Hat BONUS: So Do I - Christy Moore

Is the parasound halo p6 neutral or does it color the sound

I wish you guys would have switched the amps to see if more of the sound came from the amps or the ore

Why not compare to the 21+ instead?

Emotive XPAHC- 1 monoblocks vs. Ps audio M700 monoblocks looking to upgrade from my Marantz 7055 amp.

I’ve seen a few not-so-favorable reviews of the A23, but not the A21; is it quite a different beast than the A23?

'list what recordings you are using so we can listen to what you are using for reference.

would love to know what vilip would pair with the sonettos since he didnt love either

What are the best Parasound cd players

That PS pre measured shockingly badly on that well known site

Is anyone able to describe the differences in sound between a Parasound and McIntosh Amplifier?

Parasound for low end ps audio for highs

I guess I was hoping for more favorable views but maybe this was more a take on personal preference. I think it's always helpful to take your personal preference use it as a baseline and then make a statement on the quality relevant to other comparison in the same price range. For example lets say you're a tube fan but reviewing a SS product. Put the caveat that product X is not your taste but relative to other products in the X's price range it delivers superior or inferior performance relative to those.

I think I would probably be the tube guy too

How does the Sonetto lll compare to the 5 and 8? Please review the lll’s!

Interesting video. Like the content and opinions. I will say tho, after watching many of these video's, Vilip is really a high end audiophile snob. I don't know how well he is able to separate gear from lower to high price from his high end gear. Hard for me to take him very seriously as an objective reviewer.

As a BIG PS Audio and Parasound fan, let me just say that I have experienced problems with PS Audio products as, for lack of a better expression, some of their designs WERE NOT perfected before the product went to market. What happens then, they scramble to get the problem fixed in the field, and sometimes the problem is fixed and sometimes it never gets fixed. One of PS Audio's latest products was the Perfect Wave Transport with a large screen that displayed lots of information. This was an SACD transport. This product was "badly" flawed from it inception. I was one of the unlucky people that fell for Paul's sales pitch. This transport display never functioned properly and the commands from the remote never worked properly. The unit would turn on and stay on when the electricity went off, so many glitches. Same things to a lesser degree with the Perfect Wave DAC, always something needed upgrading. Then we ran into the CD mechanism not being replacable on the Perfect Wave Transport, it never ended. With Parasound, everything always works and continues to work for years and years and years, just a GREAT company. One final consideration, the PS Audio products take a literal NOSE DIVE when it comes to selling, people in general will not touch PS audio at anything less than a 50% discount, for a product that looks virtually NEW. Parasound holds it value much better than PS Audio. I believe it was a huge mistake when PS Audio did away with all their dealers, big mistake. At any given time with dealers I could ge 45-50%, sometimes more off a PS Audio product. On Parasound I do good to get a 30 to 32% discount, if I'm lucky with freight included, and the Parasound holds it's value much better. Finally, my last complaint about PS Audio, I tire of their "plastic component look" that white finish or black finish just looks like a cheap plastic finish, certainly nothing like Parasound products, no comparison visually.

More Natalya...

The lower end Parasound gear has some shortcomings due to the price point (still a good value), but the JC1 mono blocks have a sweet tube like sound with the bass control of an authoritarian dictator. I have both and several other amps. Also, Parasound gear sounds best with neutral components and if you add anything even remotely on the bright side, it's going to bite you. Lower end Parasound gear seems to be reaching for the most detail, right at the verge of listening fatigue. However, the top of the line Parasound can accomplish excellent detail with an extended sweet roll off that isn't biting. I can put a warmer component into the mix of a lesser Parasound amp or preamp, but then I miss midrange extension. Everything in audio is a compromise, so it takes some money to use the best components (and design) and end up with the least compromises. Boutique companies can't compete with a company like Parasound (sound quality for dollar). I am sure there are better boutique amps than the JC1 mono block, but only at a MUCH higher price point.

The first. Thing I would do is ask what speakers they are driving, what kind of music they listen to.

Natalya's comment suggests standing waves in my opinion.

What is wrong with using the word organic?

instead of all reviewers just spouting adjectives...maybe give specific examples within a song...like the kick drum at 30 sec on this song was....compared to ... just my 2 cents as Im tired of adjectives

I bought the P6 and am running it with 2 A23's in bridge mode to ML SL3's. The DAC is great, the sub control is great. The volume control though... perplexes the crap out of me. It's so foreign that I may sell it. The headphone jack is not that good either. I have and older P3 that I use with a DAC of another brand through Sennheiser HD650's that will get to good volume. The P6, not so much. Truthfully my Musical Fidelity M6PRE from 2011 with a good DAC is better, alas the sub management is not. The P6 is pretty though...

Someone said Parasound for the lows and PS for the highs. The Parasound is more intimate equals class A/AB and the Strata is class D. I personally found that my Parasound A21 toned my bright Polk Rti-A9s with $800 modded crossovers both before and after modifying to be more warm in the midrange/treble and less in the bass. It makes sense that the Strata performs better in the low/bass region=class D. I now own the A23 and look forward to hearing it paired with the P6. This with a hand made set of open baffles I feel will be very neutral/warm.

I have filing if I come to you to buy audio you will found what I like , what is my preferred sound,👍