Breaking time Parasound P5 HALO Preamp

[rodrigaj]

While I agree about "rolling your own", (when I got into this hobby, that was one's ONLY option) but that's not my point.

 

Mycablemart.com has been supplying all of my interconnects for years, they are cheap (like <$6.00 for a 1/2 meter interconnect), well made and use real rg-59U cable.

Thanks. I'll check them out. I fell into the trap at glancing at them some time ago and decided that the quality HAD to be lacking at those price point.

[gmgraves]

why coax?

 

It's shielded.

[gmgraves]

Thanks. I'll check them out. I fell into the trap at glancing at them some time ago and decided that the quality HAD to be lacking at those price point.

 

I've never had one fail, and I've used lots of them; their TOSLINK cables are similarly very good, and exactly like ones Kimber used to sell for more than 10X what My cable Mart charges.

[4est]

That could be where Kimber gets them!

I've never had one fail, and I've used lots of them; their TOSLINK cables are similarly very good, and exactly like ones Kimber used to sell for more than 10X what My cable Mart charges.

[witchdoctor]

Thanks, what brand of cables for a guy on a budget?

 

I would go with Signal Cables on a budget. My personal preference would be to get the power cords first, then the digiatl interconnect, the interconnects and then the speaker wire. Check out this review:

 

signal

[Jamesroy]

I would go with Signal Cables on a budget. My personal preference would be to get the power cords first, then the digiatl interconnect, the interconnects and then the speaker wire. Check out this review:

 

signal

 

I has just bought the Oyaide neo d+ Class A USB 2.0 to MacBook Pro is that good enough, haven't connected my REGEN to the Parasound P5 HALO yet. Also have the MusicLink Transparent Interface (Directional) Cables but don't know what my speaker cables are labeled but I do have them Biwired into my Paradigm Studio 100v.3 series speakers. Thanks for the reply. But I am concerned about this setting in A+ Preferences,

[Ralf11]

I'd suggest a real shield (i.e. separate from the ground) such as is used on XLR unless he only has SE ins/outs

[witchdoctor]

I has just bought the Oyaide neo d+ Class A USB 2.0 to MacBook Pro is that good enough, haven't connected my REGEN to the Parasound P5 HALO yet. Also have the MusicLink Transparent Interface (Directional) Cables but don't know what my speaker cables are labeled but I do have them Biwired into my Paradigm Studio 100v.3 series speakers. Thanks for the reply. But I am concerned about this setting in A+ Preferences,[ATTACH=CONFIG]31621[/ATTACH]

 

Nice job on the cables. Did you check the manual on Preferences? My ZDac detects the signal automatically so I don't need to assign it a bit rate. I have a pair of Paradigm Studio 20 v2 and they sound MUCH better biamped or biwired. They sounded so good biamped I was stunned.

I use the Paradigms in my HT, the Parasound Z components are for my desktop system paired with JBL 230's.

[Jamesroy]

Nice job on the cables. Did you check the manual on Preferences? My ZDac detects the signal automatically so I don't need to assign it a bit rate. I have a pair of Paradigm Studio 20 v2 and they sound MUCH better biamped or biwired. They sounded so good biamped I was stunned.

I use the Paradigms in my HT, the Parasound Z components are for my desktop system paired with JBL 230's.

 

Nothing in the P5 manual about assigning bit rate, so what should be my next step?

[witchdoctor]

Nothing in the P5 manual about assigning bit rate, so what should be my next step?

 

Email richard schram the president, I'll PM you, he is a great guy.

 

I lost his email but use this one instead: [email protected]

[gmgraves]

I'd suggest a real shield (i.e. separate from the ground) such as is used on XLR unless he only has SE ins/outs

 

Yes balanced is better, especially for long runs. But if you donT have balanced ins And outs, they aren't any use.

[jcn3]

I has just bought the Oyaide neo d+ Class A USB 2.0 to MacBook Pro is that good enough, haven't connected my REGEN to the Parasound P5 HALO yet. Also have the MusicLink Transparent Interface (Directional) Cables but don't know what my speaker cables are labeled but I do have them Biwired into my Paradigm Studio 100v.3 series speakers. Thanks for the reply. But I am concerned about this setting in A+ Preferences,[ATTACH=CONFIG]31621[/ATTACH]

 

Via USB, the P5 only supports up to 96k, so would assume that's what why you're seeing what you see. The internal dac on the P5 is very basic, I would think your ifi would sound better and that the regen would help.

[Jamesroy]

Email richard schram the president, I'll PM you, he is a great guy.

 

I lost his email but use this one instead: [email protected]

Here is the answer I got back from Richard at Parasound. I applaud his honesty.

The iFi has more digital horsepower. I'd expect it to sound better than the DAC in the P 5. That said, the DAC in the P 5 might shine with its enormous power supply and characteristics of its Burr-Brown DAC. In other words, try both. The P 5 has other refinements that make it a worthwhile improvement over the 2100.

[witchdoctor]

Here is the answer I got back from Richard at Parasound. I applaud his honesty.

The iFi has more digital horsepower. I'd expect it to sound better than the DAC in the P 5. That said, the DAC in the P 5 might shine with its enormous power supply and characteristics of its Burr-Brown DAC. In other words, try both. The P 5 has other refinements that make it a worthwhile improvement over the 2100.

 

Yeah, he also knows his products sound better with breakin. After I got my Zdac I e-mailed him about something and mentioned how good it sounded. he said, yeah, and it will keep getting better. he was right.

[gmgraves]

Thanks, I watched some of the videos. I have been using "MusicLink Transparent Interface cables" that I bought over 10 years ago, was wonder ing how the Blue Jeans Cables match up. The Blue Jeans look less expensive than my "MusicLink", but the Blue Jean are newer technology.

All cables "Match-up". Because interconnects for audio equipment have no sound. They're just a couple of feet of wire. Coax used in audio cables have negligible resistance, capacitance, and inductance. If you do the math, it would take in excess of 50 ft of normal coax to affect an audio signal at even 20KHz, much less lower frequencies, and then the 20KHz signal would be down by less than 1 dB and even a 12-year old girl couldn't hear that! So, whether your interconnects cost $1 or $1000 they won't change the sound of your system one iota. I'm not trying to start an argument here, I'm just telling you the truth. If you insist on buying expensive interconnects, be my guest (it's your money, after all). But at least you've told the reality of the situation.

[gmgraves]

Nothing in the P5 manual about assigning bit rate, so what should be my next step?

That's because the incoming signal "assigns the bit-rate", not you. DACs automatically work at whatever bit-rate range that they are designed to cover. For instance if your DAC will only handle up to 96 KHz, there is nothing you can do to it to make it decode 192 KHz (although most modern 96 KHz DACs (like the AudioQuest Dragonfly, for instance) will down-convert 192 KHz to 96 KHz and play it anyway. That's fine because there is no musical "energy" beyond 48KHz (the frequency response limit of a 96KHz sampling rate).

[witchdoctor]

All cables "Match-up". Because interconnects for audio equipment have no sound. They're just a couple of feet of wire. Coax used in audio cables have negligible resistance, capacitance, and inductance. If you do the math, it would take in excess of 50 ft of normal coax to affect an audio signal at even 20KHz, much less lower frequencies, and then the 20KHz signal would be down by less than 1 dB and even a 12-year old girl couldn't hear that! So, whether your interconnects cost $1 or $1000 they won't change the sound of your system one iota. I'm not trying to start an argument here, I'm just telling you the truth. If you insist on buying expensive interconnects, be my guest (it's your money, after all). But at least you've told the reality of the situation.

 

That claim is either a reflection on your hearing or your equipment. All cables do not sound the same, they just sound the same to YOU.

You told him the reality you are living in, not reality for the rest of us.

Look at all these shootouts, not one has a result that all cables "match up".

 

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=disconnect&x=%2Fhtml&q=cable+shootout&ia=web

[Ralf11]

witchdo is correct to the extent that cables can introduce inductance or capacitance that distort the sound

 

otherwise, use any decent interconnect with gold plating (for corrosion resistance) - XLR "balanced" is best for noise rejection

 

if you don't believe that, then I have some real nifty cable that will knock your socks off! they were made from lovingly recycled Brooklyn Bridge cables and extensively curated too

[gmgraves]

That claim is either a reflection on your hearing or your equipment. All cables do not sound the same, they just sound the same to YOU.

You told him the reality you are living in, not reality for the rest of us.

Look at all these shootouts, not one has a result that all cables "match up".

 

https://duckduckgo.com/?t=disconnect&x=%2Fhtml&q=cable+shootout&ia=web

 

I assure you, that "claim" is a reflection of neither my hearing nor my system. It is rather the product of the physics and the mathematics that supports said physics.

[gmgraves]

witchdo is correct to the extent that cables can introduce inductance or capacitance that distort the sound

 

 

That's true if we're talking about frequencies in the MegaHertz region, or perhaps cables 100's of feet long, but not with cables that are 1 - 6 ft long and with a signal of DC to about 30 KHz. Look up any coax you wish, check the capacitance and inductance, then perform the mathematic formula for loss at 20 KHz. It's ridiculously low. Much lower than any human can actually detect

 

otherwise, use any decent interconnect with gold plating (for corrosion resistance) - XLR "balanced" is best for noise rejection

 

if you don't believe that, then I have some real nifty cable that will knock your socks off! they were made from lovingly recycled Brooklyn Bridge cables and extensively curated too

 

+1

[Jamesroy]

Yeah, he also knows his products sound better with breakin. After I got my Zdac I e-mailed him about something and mentioned how good it sounded. he said, yeah, and it will keep getting better. he was right.

 

Here is crazy question #39 if I connect my ifi nano do I then need to rebreak in from the start since now I'll be using the rca connections that haven't been used yet?

[witchdoctor]

Here is crazy question #39 if I connect my ifi nano do I then need to rebreak in from the start since now I'll be using the rca connections that haven't been used yet?

 

I don't think so, the power supply and most of the circuits have already started to break in.

[Jamesroy]

I don't think so, the power supply and most of the circuits have already started to break in.

Thanks, I'm glad I didn't sale the ifi nano and REGEN

[gmgraves]

I don't think so, the power supply and most of the circuits have already started to break in.

 

Explain to me please what is going-on circuit-wise during this "break-in" phase. What is changing and what is the mechanism facilitating this change? I majored in Electronics Engineering and minored in Physics. I have worked for a number of military contractors including Lockheed Missiles and Space Co., GTE Sylvania, Motorola, etc., and I have worked for the Mil-Spec departments of semiconductor companies such as National, Zicor and Oki. In all that time, I have never seen nor heard of a concept for electronics called "break-in". The military and aerospace industries do "burn-in", but that's a static procedure designed to test reliability and weed out infant mortality of products. Products are not expected to change their specifications over that time unless a failure occurs. Why would audio products get "better" with age while other electronics products do not? If you could answer that for me, I'd really be grateful - because nobody else ever has been able to do so.

[Ralf11]

George - your position is that all RCA interconnects sound the same - do I have that right?

 

(mine is that even if they don't - none sound better than the others, just different)

 

and I think w-doc's position is that some RCA interconnects sound much better than others(?) - doubtless ones that are much more expensive

 

 

NOTE: I am posting the above purely on a subjective or perceptual basis - not ascribing any differences to any particular mechanistic explanation