Which Amp to buy???? (1 Viewer)

[Jeffrey_S]

Hi all,

I need some advice. I'm torn between the Parasound 2205 and the Rotel 1095. I can get the Rotel for $200 less than the parasound. Also, the Rotel fits my rack more easily. But I've heard such good things about the 2205.

I think the Rotel also has a 5 year warrantee while the Parasound only has a two year. The Rotel's 12V switch is also more versatile. The Parasound has 220wpc as compared to the Rotel's 200.

So what do you think? Help me decide.

Thanks,

Jeff

 

[DaleV]

Both of those amps are nice. Have you checked into either the Anthem MCA5 II or the MCA 50 or maybe the Sherbourn 5/1500A. All of these amps have equal or greater wattage and specs and are cheaper to boot. I'm in the process of using a MCA5 II right now. Noticed a great improvement over just using an Onkyo 696 amps. Using the 696 as a pre/pro for the time being. Will try to move up to the Anthem AVM20 in the future. Like the MCA 5 II so much I had to order a new one from my dealer. Its cost is 1399.00 but can be had cheaper I suppose. The MCA 50 is approx. $250.00 higher but is also 225 wpc x 5. The Sherbourn 5/1500A is 200 wpc and is a monoblock design. It's price is comparable to the others listed. I'd check these out too. Maybe there's a dealer in your area that will let you take any of these amps home to try out. That would be the way to do it if possible. Good luck. Any of the amps would be a good choice.

 

[Sihan Goi]

Both choices are fine amps. If you want to save a bit of money, go with the Rotel, especially since you say it fits your rack better. Sound wise, they should be almost the same. The extra 20W of the Parasound shouldn't be too much of a difference, if at all. Both are well built quality amps with similar specifications, and will serve you equally well.

As for the other 2 amps suggested by DaleV, only the Sherbourn 5/1500A is really a competitor. The MCA5 mk2 doesn't provide the same sound quality or power. It is, however, quite a bit cheaper.

 

[Fred DeGrandis]

Jeff, I just picked up the Sherbourn, and If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.
[email protected]
Fred

 

[GordonL]

FYI, Parasound comes with a non-transferable 10 yr parts and 5 yr labor warranty. Rotel comes with a non-transferable 5 yr parts/labor warranty.

Both have 12 volt triggers - why is Rotel's more versatile?

OOH, the Rotel has balanced inputs which comes in handy if your pre/pro has balanced outputs.

OTOH, the Parasound has adjustable gain settings for each channel. This comes in handy if your pre/pro is not THX certified.

Either amp would be a good choice and it comes down to what features you need. I don't think either has had bad reviews.

 

[Jeffrey_S]

Thanks for everyone for responding!

Gordon,

I stand corrected on the Parasound Warrantee. The online manual states two years but the website does specify 10year/5year as you have stated.

I think the Rotel 12V trigger is chainable so if you have more than one amp with triggers you can connect them.

I guess what it comes down to is this. I have no need for balanced inputs at this point. I'm mainly concerned about sound. Another concern is that knowing that the Parasound draws more current than the Rotel, will I have problems tripping breakers. I've heard that amps can require dedicated circuits and are even sensitive to the length of the circuit's run. Which of these will give me the least potential trouble with this aspect of an installation? Do either of these amps handle electrical details more eloquently? Should I just resign myself to installing a dedicated circuit?

Thanks again, in advance, for all the input.

Jeff