I'm currently looking to replace my parasound hint. The hint is a wonderful integrert amp, but on my speakers (kef reference 201/2) the vocals are somewhat back in the soundstage. So my "dealer" are recomending Bel Canto DAC 2.7 as both pre/dac and a ref500s as the poweramp. Anybody have any experience with both or either of them?
RGA
Super Member
A good dealer will let you take stuff home to try out for the weekend. Try to get a tryout at home first. Otherwise it is an expensive proposition to be buying and selling stuff.
I am generally a "system" first kind of person in that I prefer to hear complete systems because there is a synergy to this stuff. I also like to audition complete systems from the same manufacturer since they are designing the entire system from the source to the speakers.
In your situation you hear a problem which is recessed vocals. You established a problem and are now basically throwing money at the wall hoping something will stick. Dealers are all too happy to let you try and try and try to fix problems as they make a bunch of money on you. It could in fact be the speakers that are the problem. Then after you buy and sell 5 amps and or DACs or a bunch of cables and you finally realize it's the speakers - then you're back to square one.
And it may not even be the speakers - could be the room - and the positioning of your speakers.
The best advice I can offer is to go out and listen to a lot of systems and find 3-5 overall systems that absolutely wow you and not just once but every time you go an listen that same system continuously impresses you. Regardless of price. Find something that you say - hey in 10 years I can afford to get that system. Then just buy one piece at a time until you get it. I have spent 17 years and I am still not there yet but now it's not about the component search as I know what those are - it's now just about saving to get them.
Most dealers want to sell you boxes and move product. And some may be well intentioned and honestly believe their product will be an improvement, but in the end just buying XYZ and sticking it into your system isn't likely to do much long term.
I am generally a "system" first kind of person in that I prefer to hear complete systems because there is a synergy to this stuff. I also like to audition complete systems from the same manufacturer since they are designing the entire system from the source to the speakers.
In your situation you hear a problem which is recessed vocals. You established a problem and are now basically throwing money at the wall hoping something will stick. Dealers are all too happy to let you try and try and try to fix problems as they make a bunch of money on you. It could in fact be the speakers that are the problem. Then after you buy and sell 5 amps and or DACs or a bunch of cables and you finally realize it's the speakers - then you're back to square one.
And it may not even be the speakers - could be the room - and the positioning of your speakers.
The best advice I can offer is to go out and listen to a lot of systems and find 3-5 overall systems that absolutely wow you and not just once but every time you go an listen that same system continuously impresses you. Regardless of price. Find something that you say - hey in 10 years I can afford to get that system. Then just buy one piece at a time until you get it. I have spent 17 years and I am still not there yet but now it's not about the component search as I know what those are - it's now just about saving to get them.
Most dealers want to sell you boxes and move product. And some may be well intentioned and honestly believe their product will be an improvement, but in the end just buying XYZ and sticking it into your system isn't likely to do much long term.
Hi, and thank you for your advice. I recon its much truth in what you are writing here. I have "burned" myself on this, so I absolutly don't buy anything without trying it out on my speakers in my room first, or having a deal where I can return the item if its not "doing it" for me.
When it comes to my speakers, I have now tried 5 different amplifiers. But the thing is that while some of them do fix the issue with recessed vocals they tend to miss something in the other end that some other amp have. I have recently tried out the new classe 2200i, and though it had a much more detailed and wider soundstage, and had a much more clearer voice than the parasound, I did think it lacked something in the bottom end that the parasound do have.
When it comes to my speakers, I have now tried 5 different amplifiers. But the thing is that while some of them do fix the issue with recessed vocals they tend to miss something in the other end that some other amp have. I have recently tried out the new classe 2200i, and though it had a much more detailed and wider soundstage, and had a much more clearer voice than the parasound, I did think it lacked something in the bottom end that the parasound do have.
