Parasound Halo Integrated vs Yamaha AS2100

no right answer whether to have 1 or 2 or 3 boxes...

I have a Parasound Halo Integrated in my second system.  It replaced a Rogue Cronus Magnum tube integrated and I couldn't be happier.  I am driving Golden Ear Triton 2 speakers with it.  I listen to this setup at least 6 hours a day, every day and I never, ever get listener fatigue.  The built in dac is an excellent ESS dac and the amp is dead quiet.  It also has tone controls which I feel is a great feature.  I am a very happy camper.  I never liked the sound of Yamaha which I had back in the 90's although I have not heard the newer ones.

I own the Halo Integrated driving a pair of Kef LS50s. Powerwise, the Halo is a beast. It will drive pretty much any speaker with plenty of authority. I cannot go past quarter volume without getting a dirty look from the wife. The DAC is second to none in my opinion. I have my TV connected to its optical input and the Auralic Aries Mini connected to its USB input.

One minor complaint I have is about the headphone output. When I plug my Beyerdynamic DT-1350s I can hear a very present constant buzz during low volume and quiet song passages. I isolated any type of ground loop and DC offset. My local technician told me that the integrated headphone amp was simply a "courtesy" and not to be taken seriously especially as the signal was delivered by a mini jack. On the other hand he was truly impressed with the internal components and thought that the Halo cost double of what the retail price actually was. To Parasound's defense, the DT-1350s are the most revealing headphones I've ever heard.

I still wouldn't hesitate to buy the Halo Integrated again. It just takes the guesswork of trying to match DAC/amp/preamp. As my main system, it left me left me looking nowhere else.

+1 for the Halo, just because John Curl (bow to the gods of hifi) designed it Up there with Nelson Pass.
Both look as mad as each other. 
http://wavebourn.com/BAF/baf2.gif

Think of Einstein and Professor Julius Sumner-Miller 
 http://www.knowthescientist.com/lib/images/albert-einstein/albert-einstein-laughing.jpg

http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-145225328-v


 the Yamaha was designed by ??????????

Cheers George

I have extensive experience with the Yamaha A-S1100 and own the Parasound Halo integrated. Both amps were extensively compared in my system with the same components and recordings.

My conclusion was that both are very good. The Yamaha is slightly more natural sounding with strings and piano. It also has a leaner tonal balance. The Halo gives more "body" and heft to the music, but is very neutral. They are equal in detail retrieval and soundstage, but the Halo doesn't make an exhibition of its detail capability, its "sneaky." The Yamaha has a lower noise floor but it also strains more easily, and in some recordings, the  Yamaha's treble can be slightly grainy. This is also the case with the much cheaper A-S500.

 It takes a lot to strain the Halo and it's very clean under demanding loads. I must admit the Halo DAC and phono stage are overrated. Both are competent but nothing to write home about. For me, the Halo was the better all around amp, especially when factoring in the ~$2100 street price.