I looked up your sub the Rel 328 and was wondering how do you connect it now? According to the manual you should use the speakon connector on the sub and connect to your amps speaker binding posts in which case you wouldn't use the preamp crossover. It shows other ways of connecting but says this way is best for 2 channel system. PS Audio suggestion makes sense if you're not using a subwoofer but if you are a crossover is going to come into play somewhere and is not really something you see a lot on 2 channel stereo preamps anymore it's not a specious argument. The Parasound would give you the choice of using the subwoofer connected with the sub out and using the preamp to control the crossover and compare with the way Rel suggests but it doesn't look like it's a feature you really need but for some it could be useful as they wouldn't have to buy another component if they wanted to set crossovers so it is beneficial in certain cases. For example if I was using a small bookshelf speaker that only went down to 48hz without using a subwoofer I would set the high pass on the Parasound say to 45hz making it easier on the amp and speaker since the speaker isn't going that low anyway you're not interfering with the speakers crossover.
Is Parasound on to something? Or, How important is crossover management in preamps?
How important is crossover management in mid-fi receiver?
I auditioned Parasound separates yesterday — P6 and A23+ and the dealer emphasized how useful it would be to be able to control the crossover *both* for the subwoofer (I have a Rel 328) and the bookshelves (TBD, but I'm looking at Dynaudios and Salk WOW1's). Not many preamps have this, and I'm wondering how important it is. I'm also quite interested in PS Audio's separates (Stellar Gaincell + S300) but they do not have these, nor do they have tone controls.
So how valuable is Parasound's controls? What is the significance (positive or negative) control over the crossover — especially of the *main* speakers themselves? The positive, I read, is that it (a) allows mains to do a more precise job by relieving them of the burden of the bottom end, and (b) it increase the efficacy of the power amp in driving the mains. Is there a negative? Is there something "improper" about limiting the demands on mains, especially given their designed frequency range?
As you can see, the answer to this question helps determine whether Parasound has a major value-adding feature in these crossover controls.
Obviously, at the end of the day, auditioning pre's and poweramps (or integrateds) is crucial, as is match to speakers, etc. But if this feature is very important for fitting sub and mains together — and fitting speakers to room environments — then it will help me weigh the Parasound or any other preamp with this feature.
P.S. To those who keep seeing my newbie questions, I hope they're not irksome. I'm posting so often because I'm researching purchases for a whole system, of some cost, and so I'm really digging into these questions about all aspects. And I'm having a blast.
I auditioned Parasound separates yesterday — P6 and A23+ and the dealer emphasized how useful it would be to be able to control the crossover *both* for the subwoofer (I have a Rel 328) and the bookshelves (TBD, but I'm looking at Dynaudios and Salk WOW1's). Not many preamps have this, and I'm wondering how important it is. I'm also quite interested in PS Audio's separates (Stellar Gaincell + S300) but they do not have these, nor do they have tone controls.
So how valuable is Parasound's controls? What is the significance (positive or negative) control over the crossover — especially of the *main* speakers themselves? The positive, I read, is that it (a) allows mains to do a more precise job by relieving them of the burden of the bottom end, and (b) it increase the efficacy of the power amp in driving the mains. Is there a negative? Is there something "improper" about limiting the demands on mains, especially given their designed frequency range?
As you can see, the answer to this question helps determine whether Parasound has a major value-adding feature in these crossover controls.
Obviously, at the end of the day, auditioning pre's and poweramps (or integrateds) is crucial, as is match to speakers, etc. But if this feature is very important for fitting sub and mains together — and fitting speakers to room environments — then it will help me weigh the Parasound or any other preamp with this feature.
P.S. To those who keep seeing my newbie questions, I hope they're not irksome. I'm posting so often because I'm researching purchases for a whole system, of some cost, and so I'm really digging into these questions about all aspects. And I'm having a blast.
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- 30 posts total
- 30 posts total