Parasound Halo A31

[David Vaughn]

Well, they were out of a black A31, but Parasound is nice enough to let me use a silver one until they get black back in stock later this year. So my triplets won't match for a few months, but as long as they sound good I don't really care!

[David Vaughn]

Well, I picked up the amps today but I won't be able to install them until I finish my Emotiva UMC-200 review. I don't think it would be right to change amps in the middle of a review since I have no baseline to how the Parasound amps sound in my system so it will be a couple of days until I get them installed. And yes Tracy, pictures will be uploaded

[Tracy Rainwater]

That's cool, I would like to read your Emo review too.

[David Vaughn]

Well, ran into some problems last night with my install. The A31 was too wide to go where my old amp was and even if it fit I doubt it would have had the proper airflow to be safe, so I have to completely re-engineer my rack to fit the A31 and one A23. So after all is said and done, I'm going to have to get an A52 and use the A23 for my rear surrounds. I didn't really want to spend the extra cash, but it's the best option for me. Here's a picture of how it looks now...my prepro and power center used to be where the amps are now. I had to move my pullout shelve to the left, which wasn't a big deal, but rewiring everything wasn't a lot of fun.

[BassEarDrum]

David,

The Emotiva I've heard sounds darn good. I'm very interested to see how it will score on your review.

I'm also wondering if you'll have any buyers remorse on the Halo's after hearing the Emotiva.

[David Vaughn]

I only had the Emotiva pre/pro (UMC-200). For the price it's an outstanding little product and it's audio prowess is extremely good. I can't wait to see what their upcoming flagship sounds like!

As for the amps, I spoke with the president of Emotiva and he said he personally likes the Parasound Halos and like his products, they outperform their price class. I thought about both Emotiva and Outlaw for amps, but in the end I've been wanting Parasound Halos since they came out over 10 years ago. They sound outstanding!

[RichB]

Dave,

Are you getting the A52 or A51?

- Rich

[David Vaughn]

A51

[David Vaughn]

OK...I got the A51 installed tonight. The amp sounds awesome, but the rear panel is one of the worst designs I've ever seen. If you're curious, check out the Parasound site for a picture...the speaker inputs are crammed together on one side of the unit with a massive heat sink sticking out of the back. Here are a couple of pictures:

[BassEarDrum]

And who wouldn't choose the Eagles live Blue Ray Concert video to test out a new amp?