[Liu Junyuan]

I noticed this review of the Parasound Zamp.
This is a compact 45W/8ohm power amp (requires DAC/pre with volume control) which should provide just over 7W into 50ohms  - enough to drive the HE6 very well, though probably sniffed at by the extreme high power brigade. But hey, this thing can be had for under US$300 new!
Anyway, I was curious so I bought one.
I think it sounds excellent driven from the SE out of my Grace m920.
Very quiet, with a detailed and spacious sound that allows the HE6 to demonstrate it's superior sound. Clean, clear and dynamic with deep tight bass. There is no brittle SS sound here - it sounds quite lovely actually.
The good looks and compact footprint are a real bonus too.
I think its a bit of a steal for the price.

Thank you. May I ask how you would compare it to your upgraded Khartago when driving the HE-6?

 

[Tobes]

Thank you. May I ask how you would compare it to your upgraded Khartago when driving the HE-6?

Well, I decided that I wanted to downsize my amp investment and sold the Khartago. It was hard for me to justify it just to drive the HE6 (I have the Halcro for my speakers) - yeah I know some have uber expensive speaker amps for the HE6, but (to me) it seems a waste of all that high current driving goodness with the flat 50ohm load of the HE6. YMMV.
 
So now I have to make the 'comparison' from memory which is not always reliable.
However I don't feel any great sense of loss with the Zamp - it sounds open and lively in a similar manner to the Khartago. Perhaps not with the same transient precision and sparkle, but the Zamp's smooth but detailed character may actually suit the HE6 better. It sounds genuinely good IMO - better than my memory of the Xindak PA-M 20W class A amp which was probably 10 times larger and ran hot. In terms of background silence with the HE6, I think the Zamp may better both the Xindak and Khartago.
 
I'm not saying it's a world beater but It's very hard to criticise at the price - or multiples of the price actually.
Heck, the power cable and Wireworld Eclipse 7 interconnects I'm using with it cost me twice as much!
The Zamp has got some good features too - 12V and music signal triggers, 3.5mm headphone socket, gain controls and switch to convert to 90W mono block.

 

[Happy Camper]

Well, I decided that I wanted to downsize my amp investment and sold the Khartago. It was hard for me to justify it just to drive the HE6 (I have the Halcro for my speakers) - yeah I know some have uber expensive speaker amps for the HE6, but (to me) it seems a waste of all that high current driving goodness with the flat 50ohm load of the HE6. YMMV.

So now I have to make the 'comparison' from memory which is not always reliable.
However I don't feel any great sense of loss with the Zamp - it sounds open and lively in a similar manner to the Khartago. Perhaps not with the same transient precision and sparkle, but the Zamp's smooth but detailed character may actually suit the HE6 better. It sounds genuinely good IMO - better than my memory of the Xindak PA-M 20W class A amp which was probably 10 times larger and ran hot. In terms of background silence with the HE6, I think the Zamp may better both the Xindak and Khartago.

I'm not saying it's a world beater but It's very hard to criticise at the price - or multiples of the price actually.
Heck, the power cable and Wireworld Eclipse 7 interconnects I'm using with it cost me twice as much!
The Zamp has got some good features too - 12V and music signal triggers, 3.5mm headphone socket, gain controls and switch to convert to 90W mono block.

It feels good to find a value without giving up much against the best you've heard. The itch to find the absolute best is never ending. When you finally realize you can be content with less and still sit down and get wow'ed for a bargain, you've done well. Congrats and good job. I found a competent amp with a quality front end is a winning combination.

 

[Tobes]

Yeah, the Zamp is not about being the best amp for the HE6 - whatever that is - but it's a very good sounding device in an extremely practical package.
 
The Zamp chassis is not much bigger than my Mac Mini or Grace m920.
For many users this amp would be far easier to accommodate than a bulky First Watt/Pass/Krell amp at 10-20x the price - or a much cheaper vintage amp/receiver for that matter. I'd back the Zamp's SQ against vintage receivers even without hearing them.

Sometimes practicality and 'good enough' carry the day.

 
 
I have the Focal Utopias which I use directly from my m920. While the Focals are more transparent and finely detailed etc I can still pick up the HE6 driven from the Zamp and really enjoy them as an alternative. On some music the HE6 might be preferable - so you'd have to say the HE6/Zamp is a bargain at a quarter of the Focal's cost.

 

[Liu Junyuan]

Yeah, the Zamp is not about being the best amp for the HE6 - whatever that is - but it's a very good sounding device in an extremely practical package.

The Zamp chassis is not much bigger than my Mac Mini or Grace m920.
For many users this amp would be far easier to accommodate than a bulky First Watt/Pass/Krell amp at 10-20x the price - or a much cheaper vintage amp/receiver for that matter. I'd back the Zamp's SQ against vintage receivers even without hearing them.:rolleyes:
Sometimes practicality and 'good enough' carry the day.  

I have the Focal Utopias which I use directly from my m920. While the Focals are more transparent and finely detailed etc I can still pick up the HE6 driven from the Zamp and really enjoy them as an alternative. On some music the HE6 might be preferable - so you'd have to say the HE6/Zamp is a bargain at a quarter of the Focal's cost.

Is the Yggy in your main system?

 

[Tobes]

Is the Yggy in your main system?

Nope. Sold my Yggy and used the funds towards the Utopias.

 

[TheGadaffiDuck]

The short answer to your first question is yes. Precautions: Make sure that you plug the + and - to the correct terminals. Mixing the channels will harm you amp AFAIK. 

You probably don't want sound coming from both your speakers and HE-6 at the same time (even though it might be an interesting experience), so in normal use you have to unplug the speakers.

The HE-adapter is about protection: Protecting the headphones when connected to a powerful SS (speaker) amp, or protecting the output transformers in a tube amp. From what I have read the quality of the resistors in the HE-adapter isn't the best and compromises SQ. However, the point using the HE-adapter is not SQ, but protecting your gear. If it's a powerful SS amp you use it to protect your headphone, if t's a tube amp, you use it to protect the output transformers. For not so powerful SS amps (less than 70W according to HiFiMan) the box isn't needed.

So - in the case of a 250W speaker amp, I would use the HE-adapter box. We have seen several people here, who have blown a HE-6 driver when connected to a powerful amp without the HE-adapter.

Thats what i keep telling people!

I thought the whole point of connecting the HE-6 to an amps speaker taps was to get the best SQ from them. If the HE-6 adapter compromises SQ then I'm not interested. So what other way(s) can I connect the HE-6 to a powerful SS amp while protecting the amp and the HP and getting the superior SQ I've read about on this thread?

True, but i think the fact of the matter is, if you're going to spend $1400 on something, shouldnt that give you the insentive to take care of your equipment? As far as that is concerned, my Emotiva XDA2 can lower the line level from 0 to -100dBu to insure that too much volume isnt being pumped into your investment. That or you get a good amp, that isnt as powerful as a car battery

All the best

 

[Tobes]

Thought I'd post a few pics to demonstrate the neat size of the Zamp I'm using with the HE6.
As you can see it's dwarfed by even the Uptone JS-2 dc power supply for my Mini.
It's just so sensible.
No dramas about blowing up your HE6 when running off the speaker taps either.
 

 

 
 

 

[LarsHP]

I searched the Parasound Zamp and found a review in Norwegian, that I felt could be useful here in translation into English (by Google + corrections by me):
 
"Sound quality
When a small amplifier set like this are to be judged purely qualitatively, you often jack down expectations in relation to like priced products of more normal size. It would prove to be unnecessary. It is almost hard to believe that such a small amplifier set can perform so well - within a moderate sound level. The almost subsonic undertones from the pedalings between a the key strokes of a grand piano are sensed very well and sounds of keys coming out with apparent attack, while the tones are big and complex. Female voices come right out, no cautious appearance here.

Compared with the like priced integrated amplifier Rotel RA-1520, the Parasound set is not experienced quite as resolved in overtone area, and it can not play quite as loud - but it's not so far away. Moreover Parasound has a more masculine midrange area, where Rotel sounds slightly slimmer here. The piano has a more physical touch, and bass guitar is more prominent. All in all, we feel nevertheless that Rotel sounds a bit more hi-fi, and is generally a bit better amplifier. The same is felt with the highly complex recording on SACD, "Mozart / Grieg Vol II" from 2L, a classic release played on two pianos. This recording will send a bad amplifier to the knees. Not Parasound. For although the effect is limited, the amplifier is so stable that it keeps pace up, without giving signs of being stressed. If you pull on, it will instead of cutting uncomfortable go into a soft compression, that makes one hear that the dynamics are reduced, but it is still possible to listen to.

Conclusion
This small amplifier kit from Parasound perform better than you might think when you look at it. That's because the power amplifier houses a pretty adult class AB power supply, and it is not taken shortcuts with bad speaker terminals or circuits. Amplifier kit sounds very good, it is actually not standing back from a number of other integrated amplifiers of more normal size at the same price.

It lacks a little resolution in the range of overtones, but instruments' main registry - midrange - is rendered rich and tangibly. Bass response is also quick and resolved. Need more power? Buy two power amplifiers and brigde them to mono.

It is especially the power amplifier which is interesting because it is very handy for hidden multi-room installations without it costing a fortune."
 
http://www.lydogbilde.no/test/parasound-zpre2-og-zamp-v-3

 

[Tobes]

There's a Positive Feedback review here:
 
"

The Zamp is a small and low-powered amp that has much of the Parasound "house sound." By that I mean, it has very wide bandwidth, low noise, high S/N ratio, and a fast slew rate, which usually adds up to great sound. It's dynamic, yet refined; punchy, yet transparent; powerful, yet delicate; transient-friendly, yet with great resolution of details down in the mix. It's on the sweet and warm side of the menu, with great bass. Perhaps the Zamp is most like Parasound's JC-1 in its ease of presentation."

 

[LarsHP]

  There's a Positive Feedback review here:
 
"

The Zamp is a small and low-powered amp that has much of the Parasound "house sound." By that I mean, it has very wide bandwidth, low noise, high S/N ratio, and a fast slew rate, which usually adds up to great sound. It's dynamic, yet refined; punchy, yet transparent; powerful, yet delicate; transient-friendly, yet with great resolution of details down in the mix. It's on the sweet and warm side of the menu, with great bass. Perhaps the Zamp is most like Parasound's JC-1 in its ease of presentation."

I expected the readers here to have found that review since it's in English. I thought the above review was useful - as well as the Norwegian I posted. If I remember correctly, the one you quote didn't have any direct sonic comparisons to equally priced amps which subtracts the value of the impressions IMO. The Rotel is also an integrated which is a big plus in my book. What I am trying to say is, that the Zamp is obviously a very good amp (especially for the money), but it has of course it's sonic limitations and apparently those mentioned in comparison to the Rotel. However, the Norwegian review is of the amp set (pre + power).

 

[Tobes]

I should add that I've tried the Utopias via the HP out of the Zamp (the HP out is dropped off the main speaker output) and wasn't impressed at all.  
Sounded kind of dull and lost the transparent detailed character I get direct from the m920. I have a better 6.3mm to 3.5mm adapter on the way to experiment a bit further with the HP out.
 
The Zamp does lean towards the warm - as I said, it has less transparency and sparkle than say the Odyssey Khartago.
But I find this relaxes the character of the HE6 a bit and works well with the stock velour pads I'm using.
I sold my Vegan pads, but I'm gonna take a wild guess that the Zamp may not work so well with those (I found the Vegans to shelve down the high frequencies too much for my liking).

 

[Tobes]

  I expected the readers here to have found that review since it's in English. I thought the above review was useful - as well as the Norwegian I posted. If I remember correctly, the one you quote didn't have any direct sonic comparisons to equally priced amps which subtracts the value of the impressions IMO. The Rotel is also an integrated which is a big plus in my book. What I am trying to say is, that the Zamp is obviously a very good amp (especially for the money), but it has of course it's sonic limitations and apparently those mentioned in comparison to the Rotel. However, the Norwegian review is of the amp set (pre + power).

Sure I agree.
As I said in my initial posts, the Zamp is not a giant killer by any means - but it's faults are on the forgiving/omission side rather than sins of commission. I find it an easy and rewarding listen, particularly for it's size and price.
Many people won't want to accomodate a full size amp in a HP setup. The Zamp is an attractive alternative, especially if your dac has preamp functionality.

 

[Tobes]

Something else I noticed again tonight - like most amps the Zamp sounds better after being on/playing for a while. It sounds good from switch on, but I've found myself thinking I've over-rated it a bit. Later in the evening, I'm more like "this is very hard to criticise".
Not sure if I mentioned the bass? - it's excellent. Really plumbs the depths with great impact and heft while maintaining tautness and textural detail.

 

[snellemin]

  Something else I noticed again tonight - like most amps the Zamp sounds better after being on/playing for a while. It sounds good from switch on, but I've found myself thinking I've over-rated it a bit. Later in the evening, I'm more like "this is very hard to criticise".
Not sure if I mentioned the bass? - it's excellent. Really plumbs the depths with great impact and heft while maintaining tautness and textural detail.

The Zamps line are great. And it does sound better after it has warmed up, like the B&K amp that I use.  Swapping the center opamp in the V.1 version, brings it to a different level.