Parasound A21 vs Bryston 4bsst 2

Dave_72, Have you compared the A21 to your 4BSST. I was wondering how I would be able to identify a middle or the road vs really high end component, if I get a chance to compare

Sorry, I haven't. I have heard them separately. Well, I wouldn't say the 4BSST is really high end. That is reserved for the big boys of the Bryston line; 14BSST2 and 28SST2.

Anyway, a middle of the road component will be a bit restricted in the frequency response and dynamic range. The music sounds more canned. A real high end component will be effortless in frequency response and dynamic range. You're coming very close to recreating an actual live event and approximating the sound of real instruments.

I have decided to purchase the Parasound A21 for now. Now I'm looking for a preamp with a built in DAC. I thought about the P5, but someone who's ears I trust told me the P7 was much better. The problem is the P7 doesn't provide me the flexibility that I require.

Great choice!!!

"The amp is just easier...determine how much I want to spend and find something that has adequate power that doesn't distract from the music."

"my priorities are soundstaging, imaging(front to back placement), and as close to neutral as possible without brightness."

This is kind of what I was talking about. The amp plays a pretty big role in bringing forth those qualities. While Parasound and Bryston are both great products, I don't think they are particularly good in those areas. I'm not saying they're bad, just average. If you are willing to consider amps other than the 2 we're talking about here, I would look at Ayre, Theta, BAT and Pass. They all make SS amps that do a much better job of going beyond adequate power and deliver a higher level of SQ. Its just something to think about. I've heard Aerials many times with Pass and thought it was a great combo.

The pre-with-a-dac category is fairly new I think, Wyred 4 Sound makes the mPre, and I think Peachtree Audio offers something, but they don't have a lot of inputs.