Post burn-in observations; the preamp continues to show its full potential. It does have an "edgy" sound before burn-in, so don't jump to any conclusions until you've put some serious hours on it (72 recommended). Very detailed sound with excellent midrange; bass is controlled and distortion free--very satisfying for those not into sub-woofer set-ups. Biamping Tip: Use the "normal" outs for the amp powering your low section, and the "direct" outs (if your amp has DC protection at its inputs) for the high section. This will will negate the use of "Y" connectors which (I know, I tried it) will degrade sound considerably. Check with your documentation or manufacturer to see if your amp has DC blocking capacitors at its inputs. Enjoy.

LOW PRICE, HIGH QUALITY, EASY HOOKUP

NOT ENOUGH INPUTS IN THE REAR PANEL

PURCHASED PARASOUND P/HP 850 PREAMP WHEN MY CARVER HR-752 WENT DEAD. I WOULD NOT BUY A CARVER PRODUCT WITH THE COMPANY OUT OF BUSINESS AND NO WARRANTY, SO I DECIDED TO GET THE PARASOUND.I HAVE IT CONNECTED TO A CARVER TFM-25 AMP, PIONEER DV-525 DVD PLAYER, JBL S-26 SPEAKERS. IMMEDIATELY I NOTICED THAT THE SOUND WAS FLAT AND DID NOT SURROUND THE LISTENER LIKE THE CARVER, THIS IS PROBABLY DUE TO THE LACK OF A SONIC HOLOGRAM GENERATOR WHICH WAS INCORPORATED INTO CARVER PRODUCTS. OTHERWISE THE FIT AND FINISH IS EXCELLENT FOR THE $320.00 I PAID. TOO BAD BOB CARVER'S "SUNFIRE" LINE IS SO EXPENSIVE COMPARED TO THE ORIGINAL CARVER PRODUCTS. I WILL TRY TO ADD AN EQUALIZER TO SEE IF THE SOUND IMPROVES, I WILL THEN MAKE ANOTHER REVIEW. OTHERWISE YOU CANNOT GO WRONG WITH "PARASOUND".

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CARVER HR-752 AS A PREAMP/TUNER

Very clean, quiet, detailed sound. A basic phono section for MM cartridges.

I'd rather the volume gain be spread out more evenly over it's range. Front pannel is hard to read in low light.

This is a very spartan pre-amp. No remote, no bells, no whistles - no extra features. It delivers a sound which is clear and clean with excellent detail against a very quiet background. Parasound has delivered a quality pre-amp with precise sound by focusing on the basics and leaving out the frills.

If you need a pre-amp that has more controls than the cockpit of a 747 or if you need a remote - this is not for you. The PHP-850 is for people who value simplicity and wonderful sound at a great price.

On the negative side, the front panel is hard to read in low-light conditions. It has dark gold lettering on a black face plate (might be my age!). The volume gain seems to be weighted towards the lower end of the dial. My power amp (ATI 1502) doesn't have a gain adjustment, so I can't get much higher than 8 o'clock on the volume knob without complaints from my wife and kids.

Don't let the low price fool you, this is a serious pre-amp worth considering.

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Looked at Adcom, NAD and several others.

I use my HP/850 preamp with the Parasound HCA-1000 amp and CDP1000 cd player, and PAradigm studio 60 towers. I have had this product for over a year, and Im very impressed with it. The sound is very detailed, clear and crisp. Bass improvement for my old Yamaha was amazing and the mids and highs come across so well it makes you tingle. I replaced the cord with an audioquest powercord (as I have on all my other parasound products) and that alone made a signifigant difference. For the price this is one sweet preamp. No remote, but I dont mind. In it's price range it is very hard to beat. A true audiophile piece without the 4 digit price tag.