New amp.. Is it working??? (1 Viewer)

[Sean_B]

I just purchased a Parasound HCA-855 from E-bay for $306.00. Quite a steal I thought. I'm using a Yamaha 995 as my pre-amp and am using the pre-outs on the back of the receiver running to the amp with acoustic research interconnects.

Now, I was really excited by my new venture into seperates because I've always been told its much better. However, there doesn't seem to be any discernable difference. Maybe I don't have it hooked up right? I would figure that the volume level would change when I turn the amp on after the receiver was on but this is not the case??

My speakers are paradigm studio 40's.

Thanks for any comments.

 

[Donnie Eldridge]

Did you use the same material to compare before and after? I recently did the same thing with my Yamaha DSP-A3090 with your same amp and noticed a big difference in overall sound quality.

 

[Kevin. W]

volume level would change

Since the Yamaha is 100w/per and the Parasound is 85w/per, I don't think you are going to hear a louder sound. What you will and should hear is a more defined, detail and expanded sound field. Make sure you calibrate the setup again after setup. Conection from the Yamaha to the amp should be from the Yamaha Preouts to amp inputs using RCA cables. Make sure you speaker wires are now connected to the amp not the Yamaha.

Kevin

 

[Marvin]

Did you adjust the knobs on the back of the amp to set the 'gain' (or whatever the right term is)? I have mine turned up all the way.

 

[Donnie Eldridge]

Marvin has a good point. The gain should be turned all the way up.

 

[Jeff Kohn]

I would figure that the volume level would change when I turn the amp on after the receiver was on but this is not the case??

Are you saying that you can get sound from your speakers with the amp off? It doesn't sound to me like you have it set up correctly. If you have the cables going from the receiver pre-outs to the amp and then to your speakers, you should get almost no sound at all with the amp turned off.

 

[Sean_B]

Thanks for the input guys.

Jeff/Kevin, I was under the impression that just the interconnects from the amp to the receiver was all I had to do. I was told that the speaker wire could remain in the back of the receiver. Jeff, I do get sound from my speakers with the parasound amp off.

I'm going to go connect the speaker wire to the amp itself now. I should be in for a pleasant suprise because I'm truely disappointed.

The gain levels are all the way up.

 

[Sean_B]

Well, I hooked the speaker wire directly to the amp and the difference was night and day.

Thank you all very much. I am in audio bliss right now. I spun a few of my favorite CD's and its absolutely remarkable what seperate amplification does. Can't wait to get a decent CD player to further improve the sound quality of 2 ch. music listening.

 

[Geno]

Have fun Sean, have fun. Welcome to the world of seperates.
Depending on your music taste, Id get something like Bethoven's symphony's to test/enjoy your new setup.



PS I'll sell you my jvc cd palyer for $75. its an older 6+1 setup but ive never had any problems with it. i upgraded to a 7 disc dvd player so a cd player to me means a larger ent. center which I dont want.

 

[Sean_B]

Thanks Geno, but I'm saving for a Sony SACD 222 model.