Top Pick Award - Sound&Vision
Parasound's Most Affordable Integrated Amp with Built-in DAC
Parasound has turned its most affordable preamplifier and DAC design into its most-affordable integrated amplifier and DAC by adding a 110-watt per channel power amplifier stage. The resulting Parasound NewClassic 200 Integrated Amplifier and DAC has all the same preamplifier features as the NewClassic 200 Pre, plus the ability to drive high quality loudspeakers without the need for a separate power amplifier. Like the 200 Pre, the 200 Integrated includes analog bass management for optimal performance with compact satellite speakers and a powered subwoofer.
In his Sound&Vision review, which awards the NewClassic 200 the magazines Top Pick Award, Daniel Kumin calls it "an affordable integrated amplifier-DAC with substantial power, high-quality conversion, flexible inputs and outputs, and full-function remote. Bravo."
"Streaming hi-res music from Tidal and Qobuz produced the anticipated result: clean, defined, highly dynamic sound with plenty of punch," Kumin continues. "The 200 Integrated's 110 watts per channel was something of an overkill for small two-ways at a 20-inch listening distance, but the effortless dynamics I heard confirmed my long-maintained belief that more power is always better than less power."
"Simple, utilitarian, unfancythese may sound like left-handed compliments, but in my lexicon they are the highest praise," he concludes. "Parasound's 200 Integrated is not just all of these but also audiophile and adaptable enough to get all the music out of your music, and all the functionality out of your system."
The Latest Design Expertise
The amplifier stage is the latest design from the renowned Danish company Pascal. Pascals expertise in class D engineering allows Parasound to cram a hefty 110 watts-per-channel RMS 8 ohms into the very slim 1U chassis. Parasounds expertise in designing superb, full-featured preamplifiers ensures signal integrity by avoiding typical analog-to-digital conversion for volume control and special functions such as bass management, high pass and low pass crossovers.
"Integrated amplifiers with a DAC have replaced the venerable stereo receiver as the entry-level system anchor for serious music lovers," said Richard Schram, the President and CEO of Parasound. "The NewClassic 200 Integrated gives budget-minded audiophiles an affordable, sensible pathway to a higher-end system. For just $300 above the cost of the preamp-only version customers will have a system with great power amplification and outstanding preamp features. The inclusion of preamp outputs allows for the flexibility of adding a separate power amp in the future."
The Model 200 Integrated and 200 Pre are the latest additions to Parasound's NewClassic line of affordable, high performance audio products. The 200 Pre and 200 Integrated include a superb MM/MC phono stage, two RCA line-level inputs, digital inputs for USB, coax, and optical sources. There is a home theater bypass for L, R and two subs, plus a front-panel aux line-level input with an automatic 12 dB gain increase to improve sound quality for portable devices. Burr-Brown DACs were chosen for their musicality and reputation.
Home Theater Bypass and Analog Bass Management
These NewClassic products have inherited features developed for Parasound's premium Halo product family, renowned for their home theater bypass and crossover functions plus great sounding DACs. The 200 Integrated's and 200 Preamps Home Theater Bypass function similarly with an adjustable 40-140 Hz high-pass crossovers for the L and R outputs, plus they generate full range and <80Hz sub outputs.
Built-in DAC
The Parasound NewClassic 200 Integrated Amp is ready to bring you maximum enjoyment from your digital music files. It incorporates a very high quality state-of-the-art DAC using circuitry from the highly regarded Halo P 5 preamp. This DAC can process a wide range of digital sources with its coaxial and optical inputs accepting up to 192 kHz rates, and the USB input accepts up to 96 kHz.
The NewClassic 200 Integrated Amp's Cirrus Logic Digital Receiver scrubs the digital clock to attenuate jitter not only for the USB but for all inputs. This enables its acclaimed Burr-Brown PCM1798 DAC to achieve outstanding, natural sound quality for all of your digital sources.
Line-level Sources Plus a Phono Input
The 200 Integrated features a pure analog signal path for the analog inputs plus input level matching (offset +/- 8dB per input) to keep input levels similar from your source gear. The analog inputs consist of one phono in, two line level inputs, and L, R, and subwoofer bypass inputs. A front panel 3.5mm mini jack is perfect for portable audio players or smartphones. The outputs consist of full-range stereo preamp output jacks, a full-range mono preamp output jack, and an 80 Hz mono low-pass subwoofer output jack.
And since vinyl has once again become a big part of home hi-fi, Parasound includes the same high-quality built-in phono stage that is used in the Halo P 5 preamp and the NewClassic 200 Pre. The phono input is compatible with all moving magnet cartridges, and virtually all moving coil cartridges, with a 100 ohm/47k ohm switch to select the appropriate load impedance matching.
Headphone jacks are an afterthought on many other manufacturers' hi-fi gear, but this has never been true of Parasound. The 200 Integrated includes a newly designed dedicated headphone stage for the best in private listening with your favorite pair of 'phones.
Additional Convenience and Custom-Install Features
Additional convenience and custom installation features include presets for both turn-on volume and favorite volume, a bi-directional RS232 serial port equipped with Control4 drivers, rear panel IR repeater input, and a 12V trigger output. Input level offset (source level matching) ensures that sources with varying output voltages will play at the same level. The dimmable front panel LCD display plus a built-in library of 28 words makes it simple to name each input for the source device connected to it. The back-lit remote control includes adjustments for L-R balance, bass and treble adjust, subwoofer on-off, and even remote control of subwoofer level.
With thoughtful, well-engineered design, Parasound has accommodated an unprecedented feature set and high quality into a sleek and compact one rack-space chassis.
About Parasound
Founded in 1981, Parasound Products, Inc., is a privately-owned U.S. company that specializes in providing affordable audio components to the critical listener. The company's ever-improving audio product lines have garnered an international reputation for performance, value, and reliability. The highest quality standards are assured by Parasound's relationships with their Taiwan audio manufacturers that date back to 1982.
