A high-powered integrated amplifier
Parasound’s HINT 6 integrated amplifier is loaded with features and design perks that make it an excellent centerpiece of a high-performance two-channel audio system. It offers plenty of digital and analog connections for music sources and delivers 160 watts of clean power per channel. And this amp is stable at low impedances, so it’s compatible with a wide range of speakers. All that power comes from a large toroidal transformer and the amp’s high-bias Class A/AB amplifier design (more on that later.)
My hands-on experience with the Parasound Halo HINT 6
We like to set up sound system demonstrations here at House of Stereo, so we can really get a sense of how different components perform under real-world conditions. Sometimes we assemble a system that’s all made by the same manufacturer.Â
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The HINT 6’s Class A/AB amplifier delivered power smoothly and efficiently, allowing the Wharfedales to showcase the extreme fidelity afforded by their Kevlar cone and AMT tweeter, while revealing a slightly warmer, fuller sound from ELAC’s three-way design with soft-dome tweeter. As I expected, each pair sounded great in its own way, and I was able to identify characteristics of each signature sound that I could use when recommending them to customers with different tastes.
The upshot: I would choose an amp like the Halo HINT 6 as the centerpiece of a sound system because of its proven ability to get the best out of any gear I might choose to connect. Throughout the next decade, I may replace my turntable, get new speakers, or even upgrade my CD player. It’s nice to know that an excellent integrated amp like this one can be the heart of any system, no matter what my fickle heart and ears might fancy next.
Home theater bypass
This is a great amp for music listening, but Parasound hasn’t forgotten about home theater lovers. There’s a section of inputs for home theater bypass, so you can use the HINT 6’s superior power to drive the front left/right speakers in your surround sound system. Just connect the preamp outputs from a home theater receiver/processor to the dedicated home theater bypass inputs to gain superior power and clarity for those all-important front speakers.
Convenient connections
You get five unassigned RCA inputs for connecting analog sources, plus a dedicated phono stage for moving magnet and high- and low-output moving coil cartridges. And there’s a balanced XLR input for making an audiophile-grade analog connection, too. Digital sources benefit from the HINT 6’s high-resolution DAC — there are two digital optical inputs and a single digital coaxial input, plus a USB Type-B port for playing hi-res files from your computer.Â
