Price Paid:  $450.00 from Used

Summary:
I love these amplifiers. I use 2 HCA1000a amps to run my Totem Acoustic Mani-2 speakers in the same 'vertical bi-amping' configuration as one of the previous posters. They are quite open and airy for solid state amplifiers that were designed mostly for theater use. They have enough power for anything I shove through them and they don't even bat an eyelash. they run very cool considering the load they are under - the Mani-2 is a notoriously difficult speaker to drive. There are better sounding amplifiers, but not for the price (even retail) of the Parasound. I don't hesitate to recommend this amp.

Strengths:
Sound quality and detail, price, build quality, John Curl design, flexability with loop outs for adding amps, auto turn on, smallish size

Weaknesses:
Parasound amps seem to be very prone to ground problems HUMMMMMMMMMM but with 'modified' power cords they are amazing.

Similar Products Used:
Carver, Integra, Arcam, Bang & Olufsen, Lexicon etc...

Price Paid:  $270.00 from ebay

Summary:
Great amp. Real happy with sound and what I paid for it. Had auditioned the 125 per ch 1200 but and thought it was good and so was concerned that less power w/ mine might not work out. Pleasant surprise! I like this one more. It reproduces sound in a neutral and controlled manner to be expected from american amp but...mine is also very musical and non fatigueing at all. I listen at fairly high volume and am thinking of getting another one to bi amp (cause my speakers take a little more juice)but even at higher volumes this thing holds signal together in a delightful way. bass is taken care of very well. current kit: DVD w/ coax out Creek obh14 dac/passive pre para amp celestion speakers mit/tara cables/connects

Strengths:
smooth, detailed, bass done great, highs there but not overly so. price

Weaknesses:
at the price I paid...nothing.

Similar Products Used:
nad, denon, mcmormick, and others

Price Paid:  $400.00

Summary:
Excellent amplifier, great power and good bottom end, powers my PSB 800i's with ease. Parasound could do something about the faceplate. They've kept the same design for too long, time for a change. Other than that, highly recommended.

Strengths:
Power, build quality

Weaknesses:
none

Similar Products Used:
Carver m1.0t

Price Paid:  $575.00 from sound city, N.Y

Summary:
I run my front speakers with two 1000A amps. Each amp running each speaker's higs and lows with right and left channels. It is called vertical bi-amping. Sounds very powerful and clean when used with the two prong adaptors. Solidly built and a very good warranty(10years) I use Paradigm monitor 9s as front speakers and monitor 7s as surrounds. My preamp is Sherwood AVP9080 and I use XLO ER 12 speaker cables. Audio cables are monster,xlo, MIT, IXOS,Esoteric audio etc..etc.. I can hear a lot of little details and bass is much much better than my older receiver(Sherwood) the highs sound clean without harshness.the only complain is the hum that could totally ruin the sound. With two prong adaptors it is fine. I do not have any groundloop problems at home. It must be the ground scheme inside the amp that is causing this problem. I remember reading about Parasound 3500 amp in stereophile magazine a few years ago that had the very same kind of problem in the review that was later corrected with the advice of an engineer at Bryston in Canada. I am still very happy with these anyway because of the value.

Strengths:
very solid bass without any distortion or boominess, A lot of clean power and details in the music.

Weaknesses:
I have to use two prong adaptor on all three amps because when I use the three prong plug on the original power cord there is very audible transformer hum coming from the main speakers. Very susceptible to ground loops and interaction between other components.

Similar Products Used:
Audiosource amp