Great amp! I also got a Parasound P/HP 850 preamp with it and they sound much better than my ancient Sansui AU-717 integrated. Component aging? The HCA-1000A is so incredibly clean. It may be the best power amp buy for under $500 US street price. I like it!

Of course the HCA 1000 is excellent value for the money, and sounds perfect in combination with my P-LD 1500 preamp and DAC 1600 DA converter. Problem for german customers is the poor support, after the distibutor went bankrupt.If anything goes, this will be your problem. The new distibutor, BOSTON acoustics has not the experience and ships units to be repaired back to USA.
So you have to wait some months....
But anyway: Four stars for the sound!

I've had the HCA 1000 (not the 1000A) for about 2 years. I compared it head-to-head with a NAD 216. THe Parasound has a better, deeper soundstage, and great bass control. It's built pretty well, but I was slightly disappointed that I had to take it in for service recently. The solder joints on the bridging circuitry were broken. Good thing it was covered under the warranty. The amp sounds quite a bit better now. I don't think you could wrong if you bought a Parsound amp. 5 stars
My system:
Sony TA-2000EDS pro-logic preamp
Parsound HCA 1000 amp for front
Polk Monitor 10B front speakers
Small Sony 2-ways for surrounds
Velodyne CT100 sub
AMC 2/3/4 channel amp for center/surrounds
Onkyo 2600 cassette deck
Carver SDA350 CD changer
Sony 300 DVD
Marantz 2000 universal remote
Future purchase is a Polk center speaker to match my 10Bs, and a tuner.

There is no better amp in this class! The power, the sound quality, heck even the looks, cannot be beat for $1000 CDN$. I origanally bought one to improve the sound over my reciever. I was wow'ed into buying two more. It is a fabulous HT amp(THX Ultra!) and a solid 2 channel amp. I would believe it to be slightly underrated in the power dept. Parasound says 125x2 RMS however comparing to an Onkyo amp of the same power I would rate it a bit higher. When all is considered nothing eats this amp.

Nice clean sound, barely enough sound to drive my Vandersteem 2c(power output claim more realistic than Carver & Harmon Kardon). Considering adding another one.

This unit is ROCK SOLID! I highly recommend this amp. upstream I have a Parasound P/PHP850 - what a combination!!!If you're in the markiet for a no-nonsense, rock solid system, give this amp a whirl - you won't regret it.
Five Speakers

[HCA 1000A 125W into 8ohms power amplifier (THX certified)]
This is a nice product. The HCA amp sounds punchy, and reflects the dynamics of the music very well. While it doesn't have the warmth of an Adcom, or the purity of the Rotel amps, I like the way it effectively delivers the dynamics of the music.

It has a great high end, although it has somewhat of an "unsupported" midrange. Keep in mind though that the speakers that I use, the Paradigm Studio 60's, sound somewhat thin in the midrange. It seems very stable and consistent, and introduces no noticeable noise.

It has a great feature to automatically turn itself on when the music starts. It is built solidly, and feels like it is built to last, without being bulky. Although touted as a "high-current" amp, I don't see it any more "high-current" than any other amp that I've used. This amp is THX certified, and I have to admit that I don't know what that means. I just know it just sounds good.

I just bought the HCA-1000A. I use it in conjunction with an HCA-1203A. The HCA-1000A is a real joy to listen to. The Bass management is awesome, and the highs are crisp and and very defined. The mid range can be a bit forward, but otherwise the amp is great. I just tone down the mids a little bit and the resulting amp is the best dollar per watt amp on the market. I just bought another on the internet and will bridge it and use it to drive my subs.

Size. Sound. Value.

Needs space - runs hot.

I can't imagine another amp that can drive my Magnepans as effortlessly for the $475 I paid my dealer. Sweet. Clean. Detailed in the low end. This little amp seems to deliver at least as much current as other amps I own at twice the price. Yes, it runs hotter than the others and needs more breathing space, but it's meant to with its A/AB design.

Similar Products Used:

B&K, Adcom, Carver, Rotel, Onix

Transparency, bass control, value

Slight transformer hum

This is an excellent bargain in audio and HT amplifiers. Sonically, this amplifier is very well balanced, and just "sounds right." Bass is copious, yet tight. Midrange is wonderfully detailed, revealing subtlties in voices I never heard with my Acurus, and highs are extended and smooth.

It's THX Ultra certified, and has a convenient 12V turn on switch in the rear for remote turn on via a Parasound preamp, which is a great convenience for HT applications (which I'll be heading toward in the future).

The only slight "drawback" is a transformer hum audible only when you are right next to the unit. I have no problems with something as minor as this though!

Great buy!!! (I have the HCA-1000A model)

Similar Products Used:

Acurus A250