Review! The Parasound HALO HINT 6 Integrated Amplifier! 

Sounded good in the showroom paired with the PMC Twenty5.22 speakers that I mentioned the other day. The slight warmth took the edge off those energetic speakers without diluting their character.

As a new owner of Parasound product, I can attest to this review and many of the comments. I have the P6 and A23+. I have not heard the Hint 6, so I can’t speak to the sound, but I can say that the separates I have probably sound a tiny bit more refined just from the fact that they are separates. With separates you have isolated power supplies, amp circuit is isolated from the rest, etc. So that topography makes a natural difference. That said, I can well imagine the Hint 6 being one of the best integrated amps out there at this time. As for “best”, there is no such thing in audio as “best”. How does one quantify that without a standard of measure? In audio the only “best” is what sounds best to you. When I got the Parasound gear, I immediately started hearing “you should have gone with the A21+, it is way better than the A23+”. That is complete nonsense. I even spoke with Parasound on that. The only real difference between the A23+ and the A21+ is power and price. The topography and everything else except the speaker binding posts and of course, the power circuit are identical. John Curl design through and through. The only truth about the “should have had a v-8” statement after digging deep is that the A21+ would perform better with less efficient speakers. My speakers are highly efficient, not to mention very balanced/revealing and that is good for the A23+. Had I been able to afford the A21+, and compared it to the A23+ with my speakers, I would lay a heavy bet that I would have a hard time telling the difference. I have the P6 and A23+ driving a pair of Paradigm Studio 100 v5s. I think the important thread running through the Parasound flagship line is “balance” I think this is why the Hint 6 and separates from that line bring enjoyment in listening to people. They are not harshly tilted in any direction. The color in the signature is subtle giving a more balanced sound so one can enjoy the detail in the music without sounding too analytical or sterile. This is also why so many speakers work well with the gear. The reason I went with separates was not only SQ desires, but I have owned integrated amps my whole life and I felt it was time to make a change. Otherwise I would have the Hint 6. (same price as the P6 and A23+ combo and yeah, took me about 2.5 years to save up. I was looking at the A23 and then the A23+ came out just in time). Part of what attracted me was the quantity of connections (4 digital and 5 analog, plus phono, plus the preouts, XLRs, etc.) There is no way I will max out even with my multiple sources. I also LOVE tone controls even though I rarely use them. One does run into that odd recording that may benefit from correct use of tone controls. The bigger part though is headphones. I am not a fan of headphones by any stretch. I have never heard a pair without severe flaws and compromises. Cans are a necessary evil on occasion though and having the ability to use the tone controls with the built-in headphone amp is heaven sent! I actually had no idea what the amp would sound like as I have no close by Parasound dealers. I took a gamble, which is totally out of character for me, but thanks to Sean’s reviews of previous Parasound gear and looking under the hood of the JC5 and A23+, I recognized what I saw because I also have vintage integrated amps where I have been under the hood, in another system such as my Sansui 8080db which has the most incredible sound I ever heard and I have heard a lot in every price! I wanted that sound in my reference system! I knew I was not going to get an exact duplicate, but when I powered up the P6 and A23+ I immediately got what I was looking for! It is as close as I am going to get without having to spend $30k or more! I was after mainly staging and detail. The Parasound gear delivers! I now have excellent staging that is both wide and deep! I also have detail without harshness or the sense that something is rolled off too soon. All this even in a lousy room! I can only imagine what it would be if I could treat the room! (Sadly, I cannot). So yeah, Parasound is easy to recommend. In fact, right before I pushed the purchase button I checked in with Sean and he recommended/confirmed the choice without a second’s hesitation, and he was right. The Parasound design is as close to old school as can be had and yes, that is a very good thing! Clear signal path, digital only where it should be and nowhere else, etc. Nothing on the Parasound gear is an afterthought. Well, ok, the remote, but let me address that. Yes, it is simple and feels cheap and is. On the flip side though, what good is a complicated remote? Also, would you rather pay another $400 for a remote? It is merely a convenience. It does have a good backlight, I will say. On top of all that, Parasound customer support is extremely good and their warranty is one of the very best! Bottom line: “Enjoyment”, that’s it, plain and simple. If your gear brings you enjoyment, if you end up listening to tune after tune, album after album, not wanting to stop, then you have the best gear ever, whatever it may be!

Really like the way you describe the speaker sound, its clear break down.

Thanks for the fine review. Largely based on your endorsement confirming my research, I went with Parasound. Decided to buy the P6/A23+ separates instead of this integrated (+ $150) because while the guts are identical (pretty sure), the A23+ amp as a separate gives you adjustable output gain controls. This'll give me even more fine-tuning ability when I connect it to my A/V receiver via the P6's home theater bypass. Also I wish to give kudos for your choices of intro music on your channel. I'm finding new artists and love that. Cheers

Explaining sound characteristics.. you are the top one. Feels your speaking true and some of matches with my experience.Happy to see you do not use Unnecessary words in your reviews like ‘ blown away ‘ nowadays I am concerned about Steve guttenburg he obsessed with horn speakers . He must paid by Klipsch huge amount. Keep highlighting every day with no reason. Previously he did same thing with elac. Lot of good speakers out there which are not reviewed by RU-vidrs and corporates.

Man! You do true reviews....keep it up!

Beautiful equipment. I can see this new love of mine could get much more expensive than my PC building addiction. Great review, Sean!

I came SO close to getting Parasound components when I decided to replace my vintage stuff. IMO it just exudes quality. As fate would have it I walked in to my local good stuff retailer and got a super deal on McIntosh. Great review.

I bought your review of the Parasound Zone Master 2350, and it took almost 9 mths for the power amp and preamp P5 to "gel" together. And now it drives the power hungry Elac unifi uf5 - beautifully. It has the deepest bass, very clear mid range and pristine enough treble (still, it's rolled off, not dynamic like the Klipsch). I'm glad that my patience paid off, this system is a keeper for me. Thanks Sean. Wrt this review, erh... for 3K... erh... that's my take on it.

What you are calling "output capacitors" are the filter caps for the power supply of the amplifier channels. Power supply caps are just one step past the AC line input, which is the opposite end of the circuit from the audio output.

Your a natural Sean such a detailed review I can hear the sound signature of this integrated amp lol thanks again Sean for another A1 review

Great video! Thank you for the info!

Really enjoyed this video, great work thanks

How’d it pair with the Buchardt S400s? I’m currently leaning towards the Peachtree nova 300 to pair with the Buchardts. Thoughts on the Peachtree vs the Parasound?

Well about time Sean WTF ! I could've built the F-ing thing in the time you took to review it ! Just messing with you kid. As usual excellent honest reviw. I'm currently a proud owner of a Hint 6 and it's everything you said it is and possibly a bit more. I'm loving the flexibility of it and loving the built-in Dac, sure it's not a giant slayer it never was meant to be. As you I have no reservations in recommending it for it's price point bang for the buck. You can spend considerable more dough and get minimal return for it. Or you can spend a ton more on separates. And thanks again for the Dido "White Flag" song suggestion. Keep on Rockin dude !

Is this be a good fit to drive Monitor Audio Gold 200 4G? Thx.

Question: My home theater setup also serves as my music setup. I have a lower quality Marantz 4K receiver, Emotiva stereo amp and a pair of NHT bookshelf speakers. I want to get rid of my Emotiva and use this. Can I hook up my Marantz receiver to this so it powers speakers for movies and TV, and then bypass my receiver for music? Meaning I would hook up a Blusound to the Halo directly and then I can listen to music without using my subpar Marantz receiver ruining the sound.

integrated ? Lol more like a receiver but hey I don't know why a receiver is such a bad word in the audiophile community ? I guess we can give that thanks to the Home-theater receiver that people started using for music which a HTR is not made for music , But straight up any audio-box with more than a amp and preamp is a reciver no matter if it has a d.a.c. Bluetooth , sub-woofer out put wifi, Heres the truth the more electronics in a receiver/integrated amp the higher distortion level why is this? Well all electronics have their own radio frequency (RF) the more RF in a audio box the more interference ) But you best believe I'd rock this Parasound !! such a great time to be back in hifi I've missed it so much !!!! Great job Sean you really tell it like it is, sorry for the book I wrote , But soon going to do a rant on the subject of receiver vs integrated even though the future is leaning towards the all in one system that's built into a speaker !

I paid extra to have bt with my preamp and it turns out I never use it...…………….So I am not against Parasound not having it.

I almost get how ht bypass works , but my only question is will my sub still work for ht if they're connected to the parasound or do I leave the sub connected to the processor?

I have a pair of infinity kappa 7.1, I’m between the parasound halo hint 6 or Yamaha as1200. Wich one would your recommend ?

Love your videos!

Nice video! question, does the XLR pre out and speaker/AMP output simultaneously? I have a set of KEF bookshelf speakers and a set of JBL studio monitors (XLR) that I want to connect at the same time. Thanks.

You say Parasound own seperates will give a better preformance, so would Parasound P6 pre and 23+ power (both items seem a replica in features and powers to the Hint 6 integrate amplifier) would give better sound quality or would the difference in sound quality be very subtle....?

Zero very nice video even I understood it and I'm an idiot with this stuff wish I could afford it though keep up the good work your getting way better thanks. Also Parasounds answer regarding bluetooth is a fair one but I think the quality will speak for itself.

Can I plug the Toslink cable from my Panasonic Plasma TV directly into the HINT 6 or do I need a different type of DAC to handle the 5 channel to 2 channel conversion?

Hello, What is your opinion on the hint 6 and matching them to a pair of Klipsch Cornwall's?

Hello Sean I was hoping you would compare it with other integrated amps and recommend some speakers to it especially the buchardt S400 s300 I'm thinking that you said some bright speakers this amp would tame them down. So if I bought the individual components the a21 amplifier and the p7 preamplifier they would have sound better than the integrated amp?

"Output capacitor"...are you sure on that? My best bet, in an amp this costly, is two power supplies, one for each channel, and probably a third regulated for the input and driver stages. What you see there is most likely the B+ cap, one for each output channel, derived from its own secondary wdg of the pwr xfmr, or at the least, diode blocked so the caps can't be 'scavenged' from the other channel. Chances are very high this is a DC output, but protected. No-one does output caps anymore, at least not in hi-fi. Best I reference, here you go: The heart of the HINT 6’s power supply is a massive 1.1 kVA toroid power transformer. It is custom designed for well-contained radiated hum, high efficiency, and high power. Encapsulating this massive power transformer in an epoxy-filled steel canister assures ultra-quiet performance. The transformer has independent secondary windings and this provides more than ample voltage to each channel's power supply under the most strenuous operating conditions. Separate windings for each channel improves stereo imaging by reducing interchannel crosstalk. The HINT 6 uses a total of 40,000uF of Lelon electrolytic filter capacitors to provide a reserve of massive power sufficient to reproduce unrestricted bass. Highly-coveted Toshiba J-FETs are deployed in the input stage of the power amplifier section to achieve stunningly low noise and maximize its dynamic range parasound.com/pdfs/hint6-info-sheet.pdf And yes, I'm a tech.

Can you also try to review more affordable Amps in the $200-$500 range in the future as you did with the Marantz? There are almost no reviews on RU-vid about amps from like Yamaha, Onkyo or Marantz. And products like the Emotiva or parasound stuff are hard to get outside of north America.

Who was the beautiful female vocalist at 1'? Thanks for the great review.

Thank you! I watched this and your review on Marantz pm8006. I have the Marantz and thinking of the hint. Would it be a good upgrade? Powering ls50’s.

I have been thinking about getting the marantz pm8006, but adding a parasound amp via the preouts. I think parasound makes great amps, but i like marantz preamps. What are your thoughts on that?

Always good to hear how pieces compare to their upper-level brethren, even though the answer is pretty much always the same.

With an amp of this caliber u'd probably be better off with an external Bluetooth APTX or APTX HD DAC anyway, so I totally respect Parasound for not trying to include one!👍🏼 I'm interested in upgrading to a pair of B&W 705 s2's, they seem pretty thin in the midrange & have that sparkle with the highs. I'm thinking maybe this Halo would compliment well.🤔🤔🤔

Zero Fidelity ,You made the comment that by using the P6 Pre-amp and the A23+ amplifier, they would give better sound than the HINT6 which is a combination of the two. How much better? Thanks.

Good review. I understand that the intended audience will want the DAC, Phono, etc. I just wonder what they could do if they concentrated on an integrated amp without the add-ons. Some users just want an integrated, but already have a DAC or Phono stage. I assume that they have done their research and the market isn’t there.

Hey Sean here's the information you needed about the power transformer in this hint 6 1.1kVa transformer and dual-mono power supply,

How would this compare to the Simaudio Moon 240i which is about the same cost. I have Monitor Audio GS20 Gold speakers and not sure if I should change those too...any advice greatly appreciated.

Do you think this amplifier will have enough power to juice ATC SCM20? I saw a review from what hifi saying that it sounds good with ATC SCM50.

Great review. I love your channel! I am down to a couple of choices and would love your thoughts. If you had to purchase this Hint 6 or the Rotel RA-1592 MKII paired with some Focal Chora 826 towers and a SVS 1000 Pro sub tied to a Sonos Port for digital music play, which one would you choose? Any thoughts based on that combination of system?

I think Parasound is one the only high end audiophile companies where the sum of the parts actually adds up. I currently have a Mark Levinson solid state power amp and a varsity of tube sources. I actually own the Parasound HINT and I think it’s better and more versatile than my Mark Levinson system. The Halo (HINT) is such a well designed piece. Currently I use it as my bedroom system running Magnepan speakers with a turntable. I’m not using the phono stage and prefer using a Cambridge Audio phono amp that’s a little warmer. The main reason I bought this amp is for its bass management with two sub outs. I’m running two Sunfire subs and it makes my bedroom rumble. I agree about its simplicity. It’s a very good Integrated amplifier and I enjoy it very much. It has a lot of power for my Magnepans. My only complaint - the remote is junky.

I'm impressed with the ability to fit this into my home theater which also doubles as my main listening room for music. I noted that you stated that the separates might be better at about the same cost. Question: would the Parasound Halo P6 mated with the Parasound Halo A23+ be a better pick for the best sound through my Klipsch RB-81 II speakers? I plan on upgrading to the Heresy IV in the future. I don't need massive power, just clean sound. Thanks for the great reviews!

Thanks Sean, great review. I'm not sure if you still have the Mastersound Box on hand, but I'd love to hear your comparison to that integrated. Obviously very different amps, but interested in the trade offs in sound to get those extra features into the Hint.

Where is the review ? Checking out the amp with various sources and speakers and showing it,some measurements maybe.... Imho this is not even a in depth presentation of this piece of gear.

You also was on the money about the streaming capability of this amplifier and I believe parasound is correct and honest I think the bluesound node 2i would be perfect for this unit

Can we assume that this review is also applicable to the parasound a23+?

No pre-outs? How do you connect it to an external amplifier?

It’s not a great amp in terms of amazing sound but as you say, it’s an enjoyable amp. It’s a very nice product for the price.

At roughly 10:00 into the video you make comment that running Parasound's own separates would provide a better performance for roughly the same price. As someone new to the 2 channel world, would you please (or anyone reading this) expand upon that comment? Would you pair a Hint6 or a P6/A23+ combo with a set of Klipsch La Scala IIs?

Sean, what speakers are you currently using?

Cd you test the Clef Soloist? I only just discovered this interesting 'budget Passlab' integrated

Great review!!! How do you compare the Parasound Hint 6 to the Rotel RA-1592 or the Peachtree nova300? ☮️🖖🏽

Here in Australia the Parasound Hint 6 retails for $5995 AU dollars.

Another good solid review 👍🏻 also of a good solid piece of kit.. Features, build and sound quality are all fine at this price point.... There's just nothing offensive and it pairs so well because of that.... But as you do say..... When you want something that's actually sounds special ....its time to consider the A21+...... ... and up at an entirely different league the JC5 (love mine) JC1+ will be something truly incredible I think.... Time will tell.

Would great to hear you compare this with the Yamaha a-s1100.

Hi Zero Fidelity, this review is on point! As everything I have watched on your channel, you are always on the money. Your description to the hint 6 is exactly what a user should expect. If you get a chance to post your impressions on the JC2 BP or a review is coming up? I have owned the Hint 5 for couple of years, and last week upgraded to a brand new JC5 and a Used JC2 BP. I suspect something might be off with the JC2 that I bought and it is still under return time for another week. Could you please describe the audible difference between the JC2 and the hint 6 preamp section? Maybe even another preamp that you really like compared with jc2. My JC2 is silent as a mouse compared with the hint, but I feel the sound needs to be more open and engaging. I didn't had the option to demo any of the Parasound equipment prior to purchase. Could you share your experience please? Thanks In my system: Focal kanta 2, Cardas Cygnus speaker cables, Chord Mojo, Totem acoustics balanced interconnects, Audioquest rca to 3.5mm, JL audio E110, Sonos connect, Tidal on PC, Arcam AVR 550....

Nice review

How does the HINT 6 compare to the original HINT in sound quality? Even a theoretical comparison on paper is appreciated.

Does it have front preouts just in case you wanted to hook up bigger power ? Does it have bluetooth or wifi ? does it play 6-12ohms also? Nice built in d.a.c. Thanks for the review be a good battle vs the yammy as2100 pure analog

I finally did get the x4500h waiting to pick it up very excites.

Great review, as always...and this time on a piece of gear I’m planning to purchase as soon as the Buchardt S400 speakers are in transit. I hear what you’re saying about the HINT6 relative to the flagship gear, but that’s not as relevant as the integrated relative to the comparably priced P6 pre-amp and 23+ amp. I’m more wedded to the price point than having it all in a single unit. Any thoughts? Would the separates offer any extra refinement or bang for the buck?

All you would ever need.

B-roll please, close ups? Don’t be lazy my man. Just subscribed. I look forward to more varied footage.

happy to hit that 1k likes omg :)

So this is NOT a true dual mono, i.e. separate power supplies? I thought they advertised it as dual mono

Can you review a tube integrated like a Rogue or Jolida?

Will this amplifier be a good match with KEF R500 speakers?. Thank you

Would love to know how this compares to the Hegel Rost if you ever get to review the latter. Thanks for the review.

Who is the artist played in intro?

@Zero Fidelity Have you checked out the new NAD M10 integrated?

Opinions on HINT 6 vs Yamaha A-S1100? I tend to be a Yamaha fanboy, but this does seem a little enticing? When I could afford it that is lol.

Thanks for the video, been waiting for this one. I was thinking of the getting the Parasound p21 and new preamp vs this. Seems like the separates would work better. How would you compare the sound of the Hint to the ZM2350 if you don't mind me asking?

One small mistake!......... The crossover on the main preamp outs is NOT for adding more subwoofers, as you stated (at 4:20). It's a high-pass for your mains (it says "high pass" right there!) If you have a good sub, the you can roll the lows out of your main stereo speakers. I just read the manual though, and it does not mention if activating the HP crossover affects the preamp feed to the internal amp. It would be nice if it did. Great review though! Frustrating that they went with a mini headphone jack.

Excellent review. Liked and subscribed. Would the Hint 6 get the “job done” with BW 702 s2s? How about the 703s?

But how does this compare to the previous HINT?

damn good review-all your points are crystal clear. for me there is nothing wrong with a jack of all trades amp, i just think i can get that for less money. maybe it's me getting old, but 3 grand..... and blue lights are very ugly.

Can you comment about parasond A23+. Thanks

Those big capacitors are not 'output caps'. They are reservoir caps.

This may be a great peice of kit but I would love you stick this up agents a UK brand Called Arcam.. So do a Parasound vs Arcam now that would be interesting.. 🤗

looks a bit better than my main harman/kardon HK 980 Stereo Integrated Amplifier system

Hey Man! I like your vids. What sources did you use for this review? and what other integrated at this pricepoint or below does the halo fall behind?

Hi Thanks for the review it is pretty much spot on to what I found with it and I really am enjoying it. I am streaming from my Mac Book Pro (USB B to USB A ) on the side of the MacBook but I just purchased a new iPad which has the USB C as the apple people told me that would work because it is now runs OS...and guess what...using a USB A to USB C converter it doesn't work....Any ideas? Now that I have it everyone pretends they no nothing....:-( Thanks, Charles

Don't know why most of this new Design don;t have adaptor input where you can use equalizer ,i stand to be corrected

I got an old Sony ta-f555esR / ta-f830ES and it sounds good

I want this but too rich for how much I wanna spend on the audio hobby. Rotary switches are a bit small.

Nice review. How would you compare the Anthem STR integrated amp to the Hint 6?

Hey Zero (!), Have you ever reviewed any of the Emotiva BasX series amps? I haven't found an index of your stuff, or I'd do it myself.

I swear you used to have a review of the Devialet Expert Pro. What happened to it? Why is it gone??

Something that would bother me about that amp is the size of the input selector.

Thanks for the video. I'm curious how the parasound p6 would pair with the ps audio seller 300 amp. Similar total cost, just using the PS Audio amp instead of the parasound. I think parasound has the superior preamp for home theater use. But I wonder if the PS audio would be a better quality actual amp.

For 3 kilo bucks, I could get more powerful separates from several companies. I’d have to compare. If space was an issue that prohibited separates, I get that.

where sound test?

Do more parasound plz

This is a wonderful sounding amp but for similar money as long as you don't need digital input, the Yamaha A-S2100 has it beat, Hands Down! The Yam looks better as well with those gorgeous VU meters.

I purchased the separates that you mentioned in the video and I really did not like the sound. After I returned it to the dealer, it turns out that the power amplifier was set to mono… I’m sure my experience would have been different if they had set it up properly. The reason I get them to set it up for me is because am in a wheelchair. Anyhow, if you saw my comment earlier on your community page, that’s why I have that response.

Good review and maybe it’s me but I don’t care for the look of Parasound gear ...

In my 'triage' system of choosing pieces I'd consider for my listening room, tone controls are an immediate 'NO.' YMMV.

I think the Yamaha A-S1100SL would be better and a better value than this or their separates at the same $3000 price.

So Its basically designed for people who don't care about sound quality and that likes to throw house parties?