I just ordered Parasound 2125v2 after studying your video on this amp. I will be pairing it with Dali Oberon 3’s on the front and Elac UB52’s on the rear. It will be connected to a Marantz PM8006 and Marantz NA6006. Can’t wait! Thanks!
Nice review! I am thinking about this Parasound New Classic 2125 V2 paired with it's sister NewClassic 200 Pre-amp to drive a pair of Polk LiSM 705 towers any thoughts? I wish these were still $600 ... now the price is $1,100!!
John Sittard Absolutely. I have the same combination as you in one of my systems and it is a great match. When I bought my Kef R900s I was looking for a well matched amp. I came across some videos where Kef was demoing their high end speakers (Reference and Blades) and I noticed that they were using Parasound JC1 mono blocks to drive them. I bought a pair and never looked back. 6 years later I still get a big grin on my face the moment that sweet, natural sounding, dynamic music starts playing. If you heard your LS50 hooked to JC1 mono blocks at about 150 watt, you wouldn't believe that such a small speaker can play so loud and clean and punch that much bass. The LS50s should really be rated as 4ohm speakers, because they dip down to 3.5ohms from about 700hz to 5-6 Khz. That means the LS50s would be sucking about 340 watts (at the average 8ohm 150 watt power level) over that long frequency range. Don't get me wrong, your amp is a great match for the LS50s. I'm just saying that when pushed to the limits of the LS50s in a big room, they will suck the life out of most amps and then the LS50s 5.25" driver gets really sloppy (distorted). Even very good high current 150 watt amps can't drive LS 50's to their full potential. I'm just saying that the LS50s can rock like you wouldn't believe, if the amp has the power and bass control of an authoritarian dictator. I spent a lot of time figuring out what makes the LS50s sound the best. Number 1 by far is isolating the inert cabinets. With typical speakers (which aren't inert) the resonance energy resonates though the cabinet (boomy and muddy bass) whether you isolate the boxes or not. The beauty of the LS50s is that the inert cabinets do not resonate muddy bass out of the cabinet, but the energy must be dissipated somewhere (solid sand filled stands). I have a set of LS50s on my computer system and when I set the speakers directly on my wooden desk they sounded like as$. I built MDF boxes the size of the speakers and about 4" tall and filled them full of sand and the sound was much better, with only a bit of resonance from my desk. I added cork feet (thank you Gibson's finest whisky, haha!) which eliminated the last bit of resonance and also placed the tweeter at ear level. On a desk I use the included foam port plugs for tighter bass. In bigger rooms the LS50s sound best (big deep soundstage) with solid metal sand filled stands (spiked so they don't wobble) and at least 3 feet off the wall. LS50s will have considerately cleaner sound if they are rock solid. Wobbly speakers will rock back and forth ever so slightly which will absorb some of the energy from the force of the woofer pushing forwards (for ever action there is and equal reaction). It's the same principle as throwing an object further standing on solid ground, rather than on a skate board. A woofer can punch harder if the cabinet can't move. Also, a wobbly cabinet will cause bass distortion during multiple bass slams. The first slam will be weaker as the speaker is pushed backwards and the second or third may occur as the speaker is returning forward adding energy to the push. We are talking about rather small movements, but it is relative to the very small movements of the drivers at normal listening levels. It looks like I got carried away again and wrote a book, but I just want to share what I know works to help others. The LS50s can play waaaaay above their price point, but they are finicky to set up to sound their best and they do need a decent amp and front end. I suppose this is why people tend to love them or hate them. The people who take them home and plunk them down on a resonating bookshelf and hook them to a mass market receiver will likely not be very impressed.
Nice review. Waiting on mine to pair w Mangepan LRS and Denafrips Ares 2. My current Marantz PM8006 might not be enough with 100@4ohm per channel. Will see. Not many relatively affordable options w high current capabilities for power hungry planars
Hello oldTrades, Tired after multiple fixes on my Phase Linear 400, seeking a reliable alternative while keeping Pioneer HPM-1100 sound quality. Thoughts on Parasound HCA-1000A comparison? Appreciate your insights! Thanks in advance!
The 2-3 ohm switch limits the current. As long as the amp isn't pushed supper hard it is fine to run a bit less than 4 ohms load without using the current limiting switch. I have LS50s hooked to the A channels which are a 3.5ohm load from 700hz to about 5-6 Khz and B channels to RTi A9s woofers (about 4-5 ohms, at least in the deeper bass). Even at fairly loud volume the amp never gets very warm. When A and B channels are used at the same time, the amp sees each channels speaker load at half the impendence of the speaker. Thus in my scenario my 2125 is dealing with dips down to lower than 2ohms and it never appears to be stressed. Keep in mined that you have to be smart about it and not turn the volume up to ear bleeding levels. Also, my minus 2 ohm dips is not constant across the frequency range. Most of the time the load is probably higher than 3 ohms. The reason I keep the switch at normal is because I don't want to lose the dynamic punch of this amp by limiting the current and I feel confident that the amp will not be harmed, because it does not get hot. You have to read between the lines sometimes. Parasound doesn't want ignorant owners destroying their gear, so they play it on the safe side with the instructions. Parasound and Kef speakers are a great match. I have LS50s, Parasound Zamp amp and preamp for my computer and in a small room that little amp can drive the very difficult LS50s very well. My main system sounds amazing. Parasound JC1 mono blocks and Kef R900 speakers.
Hello there, I am looking to pair a couple of Wharfadale 11.5 to my Yamaha RXVA6 via preout with this 2125 v.2. Do you think the achieved result would be too warmish? Should I consider NAD or Marantz as an option to avoid giving too much warm tone into the Wharfadales? or should Yamaha-Parasound-Wharfadale would make a good match? Thank you, you provide really good insight on your reviews.
Very interesting review. I bought one about 2 years ago to supplement a Marantz 6013 with Klipsch RP600Ms. I got it for $600 at the time, right now it's actually $900 everywhere. Yours is the first UA-cam review I've found of this amp. I've been curious to see what somebody with access to a lot of amps would say about it, since I don't have much to compare it to. I admit that I was hoping for better. I'm currently at the stage of realizing that I need a dedicated stereo preamp to step up my 2 channel listening, apparently using an AVR for that isn't the best approach - but maybe I'll upgrade the amp after that (and then the DAC, and then the speakers, lol.) Thanks for the review!! (You sound like a fellow Long Islander - are you?)
I did not think the Parasound was a good match for my Marantz 7013 with Definitive bipolar 9060 towers. Each component has to pair well to sound how your ears prefer. After going through many integrated amps from Denon, Marantz, Rotel, Nad I decided I like the 7013 for music best. With no added amp. The preamp approach may be the way to go. I am from Li. Cant hide my accent hahaha
Great review. I'm bought a New Classic Integrated a little more that 1 year ago. I just upgraded to Elac Carina speakers and would like to add a more powerful amp to my system. Could I use the 2125 to drive my speakers with the New Classic Integrated as a pream? Thanks.
Our new house came with a Parasound 275 and a Speakercraft S4vc multiroom speakervselector. The speakers are outdoors and mounted on our house. There is a red and white tipped cable which runs from the television and everything turns on but I have no sound. I’ve no idea how to connect this properly. If anyone has any information at all, I would greatly appreciate learning how to get sound out of this machine.
I'm waiting on two New Classic 2125 v2 2channel power amps. Got your reply to my comment, saw you doing this vid. I'll be running my amps mono. Can't wait to hear it.
I forgot all about those speakers, until I just looked them up. I tried the Parasound last night in mono mode.....POWERFULL at 400 watts! How is the sound quality?
Summer forever It does 150 (real) watts @8ohms no problem. 225watts @4ohms and 400watts @8 and 4ohms as a mono amp. It is a high current amp and it sounds great.
Interesting review thanks - I've ordered the 2250 v.2 for my Magnepan LRS+ (including using the 40hz HPF)
I just ordered Parasound 2125v2 after studying your video on this amp. I will be pairing it with Dali Oberon 3’s on the front and Elac UB52’s on the rear. It will be connected to a Marantz PM8006 and Marantz NA6006. Can’t wait! Thanks!
Sounds good. Thanks for watching.
This has been very informative.. thanks for sharing.
Nice review! I am thinking about this Parasound New Classic 2125 V2 paired with it's sister NewClassic 200 Pre-amp to drive a pair of Polk LiSM 705 towers any thoughts? I wish these were still $600 ... now the price is $1,100!!
I have my 2125 v.2 paired with KEF LS 50’s and they are a wonderful match.
Thanks for sharing. I would imagine its not ear fatiguing at all.
i have the LS50 and am thinking of pairing with 2125 ..good to know they match
John Sittard Absolutely. I have the same combination as you in one of my systems and it is a great match. When I bought my Kef R900s I was looking for a well matched amp. I came across some videos where Kef was demoing their high end speakers (Reference and Blades) and I noticed that they were using Parasound JC1 mono blocks to drive them. I bought a pair and never looked back. 6 years later I still get a big grin on my face the moment that sweet, natural sounding, dynamic music starts playing.
If you heard your LS50 hooked to JC1 mono blocks at about 150 watt, you wouldn't believe that such a small speaker can play so loud and clean and punch that much bass. The LS50s should really be rated as 4ohm speakers, because they dip down to 3.5ohms from about 700hz to 5-6 Khz. That means the LS50s would be sucking about 340 watts (at the average 8ohm 150 watt power level) over that long frequency range. Don't get me wrong, your amp is a great match for the LS50s. I'm just saying that when pushed to the limits of the LS50s in a big room, they will suck the life out of most amps and then the LS50s 5.25" driver gets really sloppy (distorted). Even very good high current 150 watt amps can't drive LS 50's to their full potential. I'm just saying that the LS50s can rock like you wouldn't believe, if the amp has the power and bass control of an authoritarian dictator.
I spent a lot of time figuring out what makes the LS50s sound the best. Number 1 by far is isolating the inert cabinets. With typical speakers (which aren't inert) the resonance energy resonates though the cabinet (boomy and muddy bass) whether you isolate the boxes or not. The beauty of the LS50s is that the inert cabinets do not resonate muddy bass out of the cabinet, but the energy must be dissipated somewhere (solid sand filled stands). I have a set of LS50s on my computer system and when I set the speakers directly on my wooden desk they sounded like as$. I built MDF boxes the size of the speakers and about 4" tall and filled them full of sand and the sound was much better, with only a bit of resonance from my desk. I added cork feet (thank you Gibson's finest whisky, haha!) which eliminated the last bit of resonance and also placed the tweeter at ear level. On a desk I use the included foam port plugs for tighter bass. In bigger rooms the LS50s sound best (big deep soundstage) with solid metal sand filled stands (spiked so they don't wobble) and at least 3 feet off the wall. LS50s will have considerately cleaner sound if they are rock solid. Wobbly speakers will rock back and forth ever so slightly which will absorb some of the energy from the force of the woofer pushing forwards (for ever action there is and equal reaction). It's the same principle as throwing an object further standing on solid ground, rather than on a skate board. A woofer can punch harder if the cabinet can't move. Also, a wobbly cabinet will cause bass distortion during multiple bass slams. The first slam will be weaker as the speaker is pushed backwards and the second or third may occur as the speaker is returning forward adding energy to the push. We are talking about rather small movements, but it is relative to the very small movements of the drivers at normal listening levels.
It looks like I got carried away again and wrote a book, but I just want to share what I know works to help others. The LS50s can play waaaaay above their price point, but they are finicky to set up to sound their best and they do need a decent amp and front end. I suppose this is why people tend to love them or hate them. The people who take them home and plunk them down on a resonating bookshelf and hook them to a mass market receiver will likely not be very impressed.
Paired this amp ver. 1 with KEF R3. Wonderful!
Nice review.
Waiting on mine to pair w Mangepan LRS and Denafrips Ares 2.
My current Marantz PM8006 might not be enough with 100@4ohm per channel. Will see.
Not many relatively affordable options w high current capabilities for power hungry planars
Thanks for watching
Hello oldTrades,
Tired after multiple fixes on my Phase Linear 400, seeking a reliable alternative while keeping Pioneer HPM-1100 sound quality. Thoughts on Parasound HCA-1000A comparison? Appreciate your insights!
Thanks in advance!
The 2-3 ohm switch limits the current. As long as the amp isn't pushed supper hard it is fine to run a bit less than 4 ohms load without using the current limiting switch. I have LS50s hooked to the A channels which are a 3.5ohm load from 700hz to about 5-6 Khz and B channels to RTi A9s woofers (about 4-5 ohms, at least in the deeper bass). Even at fairly loud volume the amp never gets very warm. When A and B channels are used at the same time, the amp sees each channels speaker load at half the impendence of the speaker. Thus in my scenario my 2125 is dealing with dips down to lower than 2ohms and it never appears to be stressed. Keep in mined that you have to be smart about it and not turn the volume up to ear bleeding levels. Also, my minus 2 ohm dips is not constant across the frequency range. Most of the time the load is probably higher than 3 ohms.
The reason I keep the switch at normal is because I don't want to lose the dynamic punch of this amp by limiting the current and I feel confident that the amp will not be harmed, because it does not get hot. You have to read between the lines sometimes. Parasound doesn't want ignorant owners destroying their gear, so they play it on the safe side with the instructions.
Parasound and Kef speakers are a great match. I have LS50s, Parasound Zamp amp and preamp for my computer and in a small room that little amp can drive the very difficult LS50s very well. My main system sounds amazing. Parasound JC1 mono blocks and Kef R900 speakers.
I would be cool if you could A B test this with emotiva a2 ....Really great format of review
Hello there, I am looking to pair a couple of Wharfadale 11.5 to my Yamaha RXVA6 via preout with this 2125 v.2. Do you think the achieved result would be too warmish? Should I consider NAD or Marantz as an option to avoid giving too much warm tone into the Wharfadales? or should Yamaha-Parasound-Wharfadale would make a good match?
Thank you, you provide really good insight on your reviews.
Very interesting review. I bought one about 2 years ago to supplement a Marantz 6013 with Klipsch RP600Ms. I got it for $600 at the time, right now it's actually $900 everywhere. Yours is the first UA-cam review I've found of this amp. I've been curious to see what somebody with access to a lot of amps would say about it, since I don't have much to compare it to. I admit that I was hoping for better. I'm currently at the stage of realizing that I need a dedicated stereo preamp to step up my 2 channel listening, apparently using an AVR for that isn't the best approach - but maybe I'll upgrade the amp after that (and then the DAC, and then the speakers, lol.) Thanks for the review!! (You sound like a fellow Long Islander - are you?)
I did not think the Parasound was a good match for my Marantz 7013 with Definitive bipolar 9060 towers. Each component has to pair well to sound how your ears prefer. After going through many integrated amps from Denon, Marantz, Rotel, Nad I decided I like the 7013 for music best. With no added amp. The preamp approach may be the way to go. I am from Li. Cant hide my accent hahaha
Great review. I'm bought a New Classic Integrated a little more that 1 year ago. I just upgraded to Elac Carina speakers and would like to add a more powerful amp to my system. Could I use the 2125 to drive my speakers with the New Classic Integrated as a pream? Thanks.
Thanks for watching. As long as your integrated as variable level pre amp outputs
Bright speakers could be toned down using a tube preamp, and/or by using an equalizer.
Our new house came with a Parasound 275 and a Speakercraft S4vc multiroom speakervselector. The speakers are outdoors and mounted on our house. There is a red and white tipped cable which runs from the television and everything turns on but I have no sound. I’ve no idea how to connect this properly. If anyone has any information at all, I would greatly appreciate learning how to get sound out of this machine.
I'm waiting on two New Classic 2125 v2 2channel power amps. Got your reply to my comment, saw you doing this vid. I'll be running my amps mono. Can't wait to hear it.
That should be very powerful. What speakers are you connecting it to?
Carnegie Acoustics Pedest'ale Tower speakers. Are you familiar with them? I drive them with a Yamaha S501 integrated amp. 85wts per channel.
I forgot all about those speakers, until I just looked them up. I tried the Parasound last night in mono mode.....POWERFULL at 400 watts! How is the sound quality?
How does this amp pair with onkyo thx-rz50?
I wish I bought this when it was $600. It's $899 now
Many things price surged recently. Not sure its worth the $900....
30 comments no likes?! Let me be first…
Thanks.
Looks too small for 150W
Summer forever It does 150 (real) watts @8ohms no problem. 225watts @4ohms and 400watts @8 and 4ohms as a mono amp. It is a high current amp and it sounds great.