Halo D3 Problems

[RJKuzma]

Has anyone had problems with their Halo D3 disc player? A month ago I got a refurbished unit at a discount and the player wouldn't operate for more than a half-hour. It froze with the display showing "LOADING". Unplugging it for a few minutes didn't help, so I returned it as a defective unit. Today I received another brand new model from Audio Advisor at $999 ($500 less than the refurbished unit). Once again, it worked properly for about fifteen minutes and then stopped with the display again frozen showing "LOADING". None of the buttons will work, and I can't even unload the disc. This is exactly the same thing that happened before. What are the chances of two units malfunctioning in exactly the same way? There are obviously serious quality control problems with this model. Has anyone else seen this? I've lost all confidence in this particular Parasound product!

[Chris D]

Ah, yikes! I've had ZERO problems with my D3 so far. So sorry! Sounds like a call to Parasound tech support may be needed.

[Peter Nielsen]

Sounds like a firmware problem since you have two units exhibiting the very same problem. Contact Parasound, possibly they have a downloadable software upgrade for you that solves the problem...

Peter

[RJKuzma]

Thanks for the advice Chris and Peter. I did check with Tony at Parasound Service, and he indicated that there is no firmware upgrades available for the D3. Nor does this problem seem to be a common occurrence. Since no rational explanation is available to explain this problem I've seen on two different units, I guess I'll have to blame it on a jinx.
Having lost confidence in this model, does anyone know of any other brand universal player that also has balanced outputs? I don't really care about the DVD-Video functionality; I'm simply looking for a model that has SACD (both stereo and multi-channel), CD, and DVD-Audio. The D3 was the only model I could find that has the capability of playing all these formats, along with stereo balanced outputs. Since I also own the C1, A51 and JC1s, the matching look was a bonus; but at this point I'll sacrifice visual appeal for a high-quality, functioning player.

[Hdale85]

3rd times a charm Try exchanging the one you have one more time.

[Vince Helm]

3rd times a charm Try exchanging the one you have one more time.

I agree, send it back to AA. Ask them if they will pull one from their stock and bench test it. AA is usually good about service issues and return issues. At this point AA should be covering all the shipping costs anyway...

Vince

[Peter Nielsen]

I don't really care about the DVD-Video functionality; I'm simply looking for a model that has SACD (both stereo and multi-channel), CD, and DVD-Audio.

Esoteric DV-60
Ayre C5-Xe

Peter

[RJKuzma]

Thanks Peter, I did previously consider both the Ayre and the Esoteric. The Ayre is stereo only, and the Esoteric SA60, rather than the DV60, better fits my needs. Now, if either one can be found within another thousand dollars of the $999 that the D3 is currently selling for, I'd be a happy man. Since that is not likely, I may have to suspend my distrust of Parasound's quality control for one more try at the D3.
If I do, I'll take Vince's recommendation to have AudioAdvisor test it for at least an hour before it ships. After each of the two previous units failed, I could faintly detect that "Oh No!" 8O acrid smell of roasted electronic parts. This should be a rare event; but to have it happen twice at around 15 minutes of playing is curious. I suspect a bad batch of parts; probably ICs in the control section. The serial number of the latest unit is 1660, and I think the previous one was also in the 1600's. So, I'll ask if they have a serial number as far apart as possible. The D3 was connected only to the C1, and both are powered through my PS Audio Premier, so funky electrical surges aren't likely as the cause.

[Peter Nielsen]

Hmmm... That is totally weird! I agree that it must be a bad batch. (Or, the worst case scenario: You could accidentally have become the beta bunny for testing the compatibility of powering the D3 switching power supply from a PS Audio Power Plant. Or, in other words, the D3 is not compatible with the PP Premier).

Since you're in Oakland, why not just spend an hour or two on a drive down to Parasound's headquarters, drop off the dead unit for warranty service, and speak with the man himself (Richard Schramm) ? I would definitely do that if I lived that close to San Francisco. (There are other users on this forum have done this!)

Heck, if you mention to them that the unit is brand new, they may even exchange it on the spot if they have a replacement at hand! No need to ship units back and forth to Audioadvisor...

Suggestion: DO NOT run your next unit out of the Premier! Plug it directly in the wall for the first days. Once you're sure it's working, hook it up to the Power Plant. If you have a déjà vu, then you know you are "the beta bunny" and the two units are now "officially" incompatible and you can then work from there (both companies need to be made aware of this, IMHO).

Peter

[Chris D]

Agreed on dropping it off at Parasound in person. They'll treat you right. (make sure you tell them you're a Club Parasound member, too!)

[RJKuzma]

Some progress

Thanks guys. The situation gets more curious every day! I tried Peter’s suggestion of plugging it in directly to the wall, and after one false start, the unit seemed to work—mostly. It plays SACDs and DVD-A, but it is inconsistent with CD. On CD, the disc spins up, but sometimes the audio output is muted. Apparently, some damage was done, so everything is on its way back to Audio Advisor. The acrid, circuit burning smell is still apparent.

As far as dropping it off at the Parasound headquarters, that is no longer an option. A few years ago I took one of my JC1s directly to their service department, rather than paying for shipping the 64 lb. behemoth, and indeed they did treat me well. But, they no longer accept “walk-ins.” Tony at Parasound suggested that I work through Audio advisor to get a new unit.

Since the unit is already partially damaged, I tried reconnecting the D3 and C1 to the Premier. However, this time I turned off the Multi-wave function on the Premier. Guess what? It works! I still can’t get audio from CDs due to the previous damage, but SACD and DVD-Audio work fine. I don’t want to push my luck, so I’m not trying the Multi-wave setting again. So, I'm replacing this now damaged second D3 with a third D3. At least this experience sheds some insight on what happened. The switching-mode power supply (SMPS) automatically senses the incoming voltage (120v or 240v) of the incoming AC power and adapts it to the correct voltage. The voltage rating printed on the box only indicates the type of power plug installed. The multi-wave function of the Premier apparently creates havoc with this sensing function of the SMPS in the D3, even though it poses no problem for the SMPS in the C1.

I’ve posted the possible incompatibility question between the Premier and the D3 on PS Audio’s forum, so hopefully it will get some attention. I certainly won’t test this theory further with the new unit! It will be plugged directly into a passive power strip. However, I will miss the way the Premier significantly lowers the background noise, the way it does on every other component I own. We’ll see how PS Audio responds, and here is notice to Parasound owners of this hopefully unique and specific incompatibility. Audio Advisor is now aware of the problem, as they sell both the Premier and the D3. And many thanks to them for their excellent customer service! Although it seems that Parasound is probably discontinuing the D3, I hope they make note of this rare problem, and test for this problem on all future products.
Again, thanks to Peter for his keen intuition!

[RJKuzma]

Update, and new issue

My third Halo D3 disc player arrived yesterday. I specifically did not connect it to the PS Audio Premier Power Plant. So far—there are no fried circuits, like with the first two D3s. However, I noticed another weird little problem. When playing hybrid SACD discs, switching between the SACD layer and the CD layer causes the analog audio output to be muted. The CD layer is being read, as the time counter on the display progresses and the digital output does send a signal to my C1 controller. Only the analog outputs seem affected, on both the balanced and unbalanced outputs. When I switch back to SACD, everything plays properly again.
If I insert a hybrid disc and play the CD layer first, it will sometimes play properly—other times it won’t. However, when I insert the disc to play the SACD layer first, and then switch to the CD layer, the output is consistently muted. When playing a CD-only disc, the player performs properly. I’m wondering if this is a software glitch, instead of a malfunction. It’s not really a big issue, as I switch layers only when demonstrating to friends the superiority of SACD. Usually I just play the SACD layer exclusively. Have any other D3 owners experienced this problem?

[Chris D]

Huh... sorry, again, I haven't experienced anything like that with my D3.

[Crossram]

Well fellas, I've got a new Halo D3 problem for you - my new unit (arrived last Thursday 5/22/8 ) went into a mode where it would not open the tray. It started when I ejected a disc and, with the disc tray open, hit the "Load" (Open/Close) button to close the drawer and it stalled and then tried to close, stopped momentarily with about 1/3 of the tray still out., and then closed completely. Then, when I hit the "Load" button to re-open the tray, it did not open, but displayed "Loading" as it does when you first insert a disc (remember there was no disc and the drawer was closed). Then it displayed "No Disc". No matter how many times I pushed "Load", it just repeated this sequence and would not open.

After unplugging the unit, I took the cover off (the insides of this unit aren't very impressive) and all looked normal. I then discovered a slot in the bottom labeled "Open", which, with a screwdriver, you can trip the drive mechanism to open. It popped open so I plugged it back in - the drawer closed on its own and I was right back where I started!!

After a couple of more rounds of this, I put a CD in and "Viola" it started playing and opened just like normal!!

I was spooked over this, so I went on the AA website and guess what - they have deleted the Halo D3 from their catalog!! So, if we have an issue and want to return the unit for a replacement during the 30 day warranty period, THERE IS NO REPLACEMENT!! We will have to send it to a repair center for service.

I am not very happy about this, so I looked on the net for other options and there really aren't any at the $1000 price point with SACDS and XLR (which I have to use with my Ayre preamp).

Has anyone else experienced this problem?

[Chris D]

Hey, Crossram, welcome to the Guide and Club Parasound! :banana:

Sorry for the troubles. No, I definitley haven't had anything like that.

I watched a SD-DVD on my D3 tonight. Funny... in the past, I would pop in a DVD, and it would play audio and video just fine over just the HDMI cable. Tonight, I got video over HDMI, but no audio. Had to stop the DVD, and go into the setup menu for the 1st time. (I just haven't had/taken the time to fully set up and calibrate the unit) I switched the audio output option to HDMI, and everything worked okay.

The more time goes on, the more I think I'm agreeing with others here, that the video performance of the D3 is okay, but the audio is really where it shines. That's really the biggest reason I got the D3, was as a SACD/DVD-A player.

[Crossram]

Thanks Chris - I appreciate you taking the initiative to moderate this forum. As you know, there is so little information about the D3 out there.

I briefly tried the video - IMHO not very impressive. My $170 Oppo 980H does a great job on video AND passes pure DSD for SACD to my Onkyo PR-SC885P HT processor AND passes Dolby TrueHD and DTS-MA via bitream for internal processing with same. So, I have no plans to use the video of the D3 at all (just for menu access).

Anyway, probably the best way to use the video is with the "Scan Type" set to interlaced and let your processor (if so equipped) or TV do the video processing. I tried this briefly and it seems to better the "Progressive" setting.

My experience with Faroudja DCDi (built into D3) is not good - lots of macroblocking on dark scenes. It is substantially bettered by the Reon or Realta chip now available in many mid-priced receivers and DVD players. Hopefully, the "Interlaced" setting on the D3 bypasses the DCDi.

I agree that the sound is very, very good from the D3 via the XLR outputs using Audioquest Niagara XLR ICs. The combination of XLR outputs, SACD capability, excellent Redbook CD sound, and price makes this player unmatched at the current time. I just hope we don't start filling this forum with horror stories about reliability...

Thanks again,
Dave

[Chris D]

You're welcome, Dave. I relax at night by talking with some fellas here on this website, so keeping an eye in here for Club Parasound isn't too much extra trouble.

I haven't bought XLR cables for the D3, but I'm looking forward to doing that...

[RJKuzma]

Crossram, this sounds eerily familiar to the problems I had with my first two units. I blamed it on the Multiwave setting of my power regenerator, but perhaps it could also be due to a bad batch of power supplies. Both of my first two units got stuck on “LOADING,” before playing for at least a few minutes. It seemed that there simply wasn’t enough power to spin up the disc or to eject it. What is the serial number of your unit? If it matches the one I recorded in a previous post, we’ll know there is a problem with the recycling of defective returns. Otherwise, you may have evidence that the Multiwave setting on the Premier wasn’t to blame after all. Parasound should now have determined why this problem occurs. They have two of my previous defective units, and should have determined the cause by now. Give Tony a call at Parasound Service and see what he says.

As I indicated on other threads, I think the D3 is an excellent audio player on CD, DVD-Audio, and SACD. It’s not just good, it is outstanding. I also agree that as a video player, it is mediocre at best. Perhaps Parasound spend all its R&D dollars on the audio section. I also agree that the insides of the unit look unimpressive. But, what counts is the overall sound, and on that parameter, this unit scores.

I was also looking for something in the price range that had both balanced outputs and SACD capability. The closest match I could find was the NAD M5, which goes for $1799. I would love to hear it, as well as the CD-only Cambridge Audio 840C in a direct comparison to the D3. But to date, the D3 is the best sounding CD player I have auditioned. I just got back from a weekend at a friend’s house, and we did extensive listening and comparisons between the D3 and my friend’s older Conrad Johnson and Meridian 508 CD players. The CJ wasn’t really in the race, but the Meridian, although 10 years old, was pretty good overall. But, the D3 is much more detailed at all frequencies, and is a lot better at ambience retrieval. The D3 was a little lighter in the mid bass response, but I’m not sure that perception isn’t due to the extreme tightness of the bass overall. Also, my D3 isn’t really broken-in yet either. Overall, I’m very satisfied with the D3’s sound on CD. It is the best I’ve heard so far, but I would really like to hear the other brands in a direct comparison.

Listening to SACDs on the D3 takes the listening experience to a much higher level still. It competes favorably with high-end ($8000) vinyl systems for life-likeness, and is far superior for noise, convenience, and dynamics. Overall on SACD sonics, this player excels. Surprisingly, the D3 took a dramatic leap in dynamic range and clarity when I replaced the stock power cord with a fairly inexpensive PS Audio Power Punch cable. I was blown away by the dramatic difference the cable made, as this was the first time I tried replacing power cables. I’m now a believer! I think this indicates that although the D3 with the stock cable is good, the player is capable of an even higher level of audio performance when the power feed is improved. In this case, both power cables were being fed by a PS Audio Premier to clean up the power signal initially. But the last few feet of power cable apparently also make a huge difference. I don’t understand why, but now I’ve heard it for myself and am convinced. The difference isn’t subtle.

As you and others have observed, and I previously said; the Halo D3 is a mediocre video player at best. On the HQV video test DVD, the D3 failed miserably on most of the tests. The D3 showed moiré pattern throughout the “3:2 detection” test, while my Oppo DV-981HD locked on to the conversion within a fraction of a second. On the “Jaggies Patterns 1, 2, and Flag Tests,” the D3 showed considerable stair-stepping and rough edges. Overall, the video performance is not quite as good as my old Sony DVP-S7700, a player I bought in 2000, which uses analog component video output. More importantly, the D3 doesn’t come anywhere close to the video performance of the $229 Oppo. The Oppo sailed through all the torture tests with flying colors. Both the Oppo and Halo claim to use a Faroudja DCDi scalar, but since the biggest differences were in “taming the jaggies” where diagonal lines looked “saw tooth” or “stair-stepped” on the Halo, but perfectly smooth on the Oppo. Most noticeable was the flag test with the Halo presenting a constantly saw tooth outline to each stripe on the waving American flag. Perhaps the Faroudja chip in the Halo is an older model, and not as sophisticated as the Faroudja DCDi scalar in the Oppo. Or maybe it just isn’t implemented correctly. Whatever the reason, after this test I will certainly continue to use the Oppo for all my video tasks. However, on audio, at least through the analog outputs, the Oppo is mediocre. This is especially true on SACD, where the Oppo sounds like middle-of-the-road CD at best.

From my standpoint, the D3 is an excellent but flawed product. The ergonomics on SACD and DVD-Audio playback could use some improvement. Without a video display, DVD-Audio discs are almost impossible to use. And it would be nice to see at a glance when during SACD playback, if you are on the stereo or multichannel layers. Perhaps their next generation disc player will be more thoroughly developed. But at $999, this player is a bargain for excellent audio playback.

[Chris D]

RJ, I'm glad you mentioned the "jaggies" displayed with the D3. I have by no means done an exhaustive test (yet) of the D3's audio and video performance, but on a couple discs so far, I've visibly noticed jaggies on certain items like large moving text. It took me by surprise to see those. Although this is an upconverting SD-DVD player, capped at 1080i, compared to other models I've used/seen, I didn't expect that kind of artifacting.

[Crossram]

The serial number of my unit is 01614. It has not acted up again since this one time and I have been playing it a lot.

As good as the D3 sounds (for $999), I can't help but wonder if the Ayre CX-7e wouldn't be better with my Ayre K-1xe preamp. I know it is more expensive, but I can get a good deal on a CX-7 (around $1500) and then have it upgraded to the "e"volution for another $300. The Ayre preamp is so revealing (ina good way) that I think I will be able to hear the difference.

I would be giving up the SACD/DVD-A capability, but, many of my redbook Cd's sound as good as my SACD's on the D3 and I have about 20 SACD's and hundreds of Cd's. The only bummer is I just paid $72 for a Mobile Fidelity Patricia Barber Cafe Blue SACD on ebay (Out-of-Print)!! If you do not own this CD (Cd still available), you should get it - the sound is very, very good.

I was talking to my Ayre dealer earlier today and he said that there is a big move toward "digital server" in the industry as we speak. No more Cds and no more players. Initially, I didn't take the "computer music" thing very seriously - MP3 is so bit reduced that it is not suitable for serious listening. But now, it is common to find sites that offer 24/96 downloads. This should, theoretically provide sound as good as SACD. So, Ayre, for one, is about to introduce a new product that is described a a hi-end D/A converter with an ethernet port to source files directly from a PC. You can download your current Cd's into the hard drive and off you go. The kicker is that the price of this product is predicted to be in the $1500 range (very appealing).

His advice was to buy the player I really want because it will probably be my last! So I probably will go with the Ayre. Does Audio Advisor honor the 30-day satisfaction guarantee on closeout items (the D3)?

You Parasound guys are great! Rock on...

Thanks,
Dave

[RJKuzma]

Dave, your serial number is different than my previously returned unit, so you can rule out having received one of my returned units. And, I'm glad to hear that the problem has not reoccurred. If you can get an Ayre CX-7e for under $2000, then I would go for it. Ayre makes some fantastic sounding gear, and the build quality is excellent. Although I have yet to hear any CD that sounds equally as good as a pure DSD SACD. Unfortunately, some SACDs are just produced from the same 44.1 kHz recordings mastered for CD. However, with continuing improvements in CD playback, it may be possible some day. Since Ayre makes upgrades available for their units, you would be in a good position to stay ahead of the curve.

I own all of the Mobile Fidelity Patricia Barber SACDs, and agree that they sound fantastic. Luckily, they are hybrid discs, so you can still play the CD layer. But before you send back the D3, I think you own it to yourself to use this disk to really compare the CD layer with the SACD layer. Since your Ayre preamp is very revealing, I think you’ll find that the SACD layer has a lot more ambiance and more precise imaging. The differences are obvious both on through my Parasound Halo C1 controller and my friend’s Krell KCT preamp. Listen for depth of field and smoothness in the upper frequencies, such as with cymbals and brushes.

Your dealer is right about music servers replacing traditional disc players in the future. But to be audiophile quality, it has to be done right; and that usually means without the contamination caused by computer circuits. I’m happy to hear that Ayre is planning for such a product. I’ve been waiting for PS Audio to come out with their new transport and digital lens system that can rip a CD without any measurable jitter and then store the digital data on a server for future use. It’s modular, and new pieces can be added as the technology evolves. It can also correct and eliminate the jitter in music ripped from other sources. Without jitter, CDs should theoretically sound much more like SACDs. And, as you point out, digital downloads at 24/96 should sound about as good as SACD or DVD-Audio. You can check out the rather detailed discussion about this future product at the PS Audio Forum, accessible from their web site.

I would expect Audio Advisor to honor their 30-day money back guarantee. They’ve been great dealing with my issues. Good luck.

[Crossram]

Hi RJKuzma,

I used to be a "early adopter" - I bought the first generation Dreamvision DLP front projector (768p back in 1996!) and was watching HDTV on DirecTV via the first gen RCA HDTV converter and elliptical dish before DirecTV would even admit that they broadcast HDTV!! As cool as that was, there were a lot of bugs in the early equipment and the price of the hardware dropped like a rock after the first year or so. Same with the early (and later) Cd transports and D/A converters. The only thing that becomes obsolete and virtually worthless faster than digital front ends is a mid-fi receiver!! So, I think that this time around I will lag the technology a little regarding the music server and let someone else fund the learning curve this time. In the meantime, I plan to TRY to be content with a good Cd player.

My equipment is:

Onkyo PR-SC885P HT Processor (great for HT but poor for 2-channel/analog)
Ayre K-1xe preamp with phono and remote (just bought this gem)
Krell FPB-600c stereo amp (awesome - 1200 watts/ch @ 4ohms in pure Class A)
Classe' Audio DR-6 preamp (recently retired)
Classe' Audio DR-25 250 watt/ch stereo amp (500 w bridged mono for center channel)
Chiro by Kinergetics C-500 140 watt/ch 5-channel amp for side and rear channels
Parasound Halo D3 (for now) w/ Audioquest Niagara XLR interconnects (great)
Oppo 980H Universal player (for HT - passes pure DSD directly to Onkyo via HDMI)
Toshiba A35 HD DVD player (passes TrueHD/DTS MA via bitstream to Onkyo via HDMI)
VPI TNT 3 Table with 12" JMW Memorial Tonearm w/ Grado The Reference cartridge
Transparent Audio Reference XL XLR interconnects and Phono interconnects
Thiel CS5i's for main L/R, Thiel MCS1 center, Thiel 2 2 for rear
Straightwire Crescendo and Maestro speaker cables
Chang Lightspeed power conditioner

As you can see, a lot of my equipment is older (except digital), but it is very, very good older! It will be fun to update this system over time as funds allow. I will need guys like you to advise me on this "newfangled computerism stuff" (as my late grandfather used to say).

You certainly are a nice bunch of guys. Let's stay in touch!

Best Regards,
Dave

[Crossram]

By the way - regarding Patricia Barber - I was not as crazy about "Modern Cool" - still good but not quite up to "Cafe Blue". What are some of her other better recordings?

For that matter, any good music recommendations would be appreciated. Most of my stuff is 10 years old. Caveat: most classical stuff puts me to sleep.

I've got one for you - Ray Charles: Genius Loves Company on MonsterMusic. Ray sings duets with Natalie Cole (excellent), Norah Jones (great), Diana Krall (great), Elton John, BB King, Gladys Night, Michael McDonald, Johnny Mathis, Van Morrison, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, and James Taylor.

Make sure to get the 2 cd set (MMU 44162), not the easier to find regular Cd. One disc is DTS 96/24 5-channel but has a "High Definition" 2-channel version that sounds awesome. The other disc is a standard redbook Cd. I found it at Fry's here in Houston for $10 - you might have to order from the Monster website. Good stuff!!

[Crossram]

My third Halo D3 disc player arrived yesterday. I specifically did not connect it to the PS Audio Premier Power Plant. So far—there are no fried circuits, like with the first two D3s. However, I noticed another weird little problem. When playing hybrid SACD discs, switching between the SACD layer and the CD layer causes the analog audio output to be muted. The CD layer is being read, as the time counter on the display progresses and the digital output does send a signal to my C1 controller. Only the analog outputs seem affected, on both the balanced and unbalanced outputs. When I switch back to SACD, everything plays properly again.
If I insert a hybrid disc and play the CD layer first, it will sometimes play properly—other times it won’t. However, when I insert the disc to play the SACD layer first, and then switch to the CD layer, the output is consistently muted. When playing a CD-only disc, the player performs properly. I’m wondering if this is a software glitch, instead of a malfunction. It’s not really a big issue, as I switch layers only when demonstrating to friends the superiority of SACD. Usually I just play the SACD layer exclusively. Have any other D3 owners experienced this problem?

Hi (again) RJKuzma,

I took your recommendation to compare the SACD and redbook Cd versions of a hybrid disc (Diana Krall - Girl in the Other Room) to see if the sound difference was very significant. Guess what - same problem you had: after I switched the D3 "SACD Area" from "2 Channel" to "Cd Area" the analog outputs were muted. I shut the unit on and off a couple of times to no avail. Just as you say, the coax digital output is sending a signal to my Onkyo processor (I can hear the sub) but nothing out of the analog outputs. Switching back to "2 channel" restored the analog output (SACD).

So much for comparing the sound of SACD vs redbook!! Did you ever find a solution to this?

UPDATE: Ejecting and reloading the disc restored the analog output after switching layers. Initial listening shows a an improvement in transparency with SACD, especially in the high frequencies (cymbals, tambourine, etc) just as you describe, but the redbook sounds very good. I'm not sure this will change my mind about switching to the Ayre and foregoing SACD for now. Life is always a trade-off (this kinda stinks)...

Thanks,
Dave

[RJKuzma]

Dave, the only reliable solution I have for problem of the muting of the CD layer is as follows: In the setup menu, select “SACD Area” and choose “CD Layer.” Then put a true CD in the player and play it for a few seconds. Then replace the true CD with the Hybrid SACD-CD. As the new disc spins up, it should read from the CD layer and the audio outputs should work. Another, slightly less inconvenient method that sometimes works, albeit less reliably, is to leave the “SACD Area” in the setup set to “Multichannel” or “2Channel,” but still play an true CD for a few seconds. Then eject it and put the hybrid disc in the drawer. When the disc starts to spin up, hit the SACD button on the remote to select the CD layer, before it actually starts playing. This method works about 80% of the time. The last method, which you describe, is to eject the disk and reinsert it. But I have found that this method only works for some discs and not others. As you stated, this player seems to have lots of bugs. My guess is that the data flag on hybrid SACDs which indicates that the CD layer is selected is not properly activating the analog output. It seems to be a programming error or software glitch. Tony at Parasound said that he hasn’t heard of this bug before, but with this player, it seems all sorts of things are possible. Now that I’ve heard the difference between SACD and CD, I just leave the player in SACD mode. The only time I try to switch layers is when demonstrating SACD superiority to friends. This player makes that task difficult, to say the least.

As you said, the CD sound on the D3 is very good. This is the first CD player I’ve heard that actually is able to recreate that elusive live quality that previously only SACD and vinyl could do properly. I’m sure it is not the only disc player capable of this, as previously mentioned units such as the Cambridge Audio 840C, NAD M5, and most certainly the Ayre players should at least match the D3 if not surpass it on CD. But indeed, life is a trade-off. And, Parasound’s product philosophy is also a trade-off. For a relatively low price, you get great sound, but average build quality. Someone has to pay for that 3/8 inch thick machined aluminum front panel and heavy copper clad chassis of competing units. On the Halo units, you get a good-looking replica, but upon close examination you can see that much thinner sheet aluminum, stamped steel, and plastic is used. I personally want my hard earned dollars to go toward sound quality, instead of ultimate aesthetics. So for me, the trade-offs are reasonable, as long as sound quality is not impaired. This may not be so true for everyone else, where the heft and feel of substantially more expensive products can seemingly provide a reassurance that your purchase is of high quality. I purchased my D3 specifically for SACD playback, to replace my ageing Sony player on an interim basis until PS Audio releases their PWT, Digital Lens, and new D/A converter. The D3’s capability to do DVD-A is a bonus, as is the surprisingly excellent sound quality on CD. But, I am also disturbed by the seeming lack of quality control with this disc player unit. It surprises me, because my Parasound Halo power amps have been solid performers for over five years. My Halo C1 did have noise problems, but that seemed to be due to a misrouted ribbon cable (manufacturing error). The problems with the D3s seem more to be the result of insufficient development. Whatever the real reason, I am also concerned that the problems may multiply as the unit ages. Hopefully, I will get a return on my $999 investment in satisfying musical enjoyment until then.

Speaking of musical enjoyment, I also own the Ray Charles Genius Loves Company disc. I have it on SACD (both 2 channel and multichannel) and it is a demonstration quality disc. Plus, the performances are truly outstanding. I’m really glad that Ray was able to record this one last audiophile testament to his genius. As far as Patricia Barber, I have Modern Cool, Nightclub, and Café Blue on SACD, and Companion on XRCD. But my favorite performance is Live, A Fortnight in France. It is “just” a regular CD, but the live performance brings Patricia’s connection with the music to another higher level. Other recommended music is just about everything that Groove Note Records puts out. They use pure DSD throughout their recording and mastering process, so you can be assured of the best sound available for SACD as well as CD and vinyl. Also, AIX Records puts out some great sounding recordings on DVD-A as well as CD and DVD-Video. They also provide high quality 24/96 downloads on their iTrax.com sister site. Great stuff overall.

[Crossram]

Thanks for the quick reply and the music recommendations. Is there ANY music that you do not have??!! I will certainly try the labels you suggest.

I am going to my local Ayre dealer tomorrow AM to compare the Parasound with the Ayre. My hope is that the Ayre will sound as good on redbook as the Parasound does on SACD (optimistic I know). I will let you know.

Dave

[Crossram]

FYI- I just saw on Audiogon.com that a NAD authorized dealer has factory reconditioned M5's with full 2 year warranty for $1199.

[RJKuzma]

Comparison?

Dave, I'm curious how your comparison between the D3 and the Ayre Cx7 CD player went yesterday.

[Crossram]

Hey Buddy!

I tell you, the whole audition was a little compromised because the dealer was using the CX-7e with the Ayre integrated amp and Vandersteen 3A's - very nice speakers but IMHO extremely polite and not very revealing - especially compared to my Thiels. I almost went to sleep a couple of times!

Anyway, the Parasound did well. The dealer even commented on what a nice player it is. Here is a summary of what I thought:

Parasound Halo D3 SACD vs Ayre CX-7e RBCD:

The Parasound was very open and detailed in SACD mode, especially in the upper treble (cymbals, etc). The Ayre could not match it in that area with redbook Cd. One thing the Parasound did that was strange (in that system) with the Tierney Sutton: Something Cool SACD was that Ms. Sutton seemed to be BEHIND the instruments in the soundstage! This was not so with the Ayre (vocals were more up-front but the soundstage also very deep). The Parasound had a little grain it the upper registers on female vocals (I have noticed this in my system), but the Ayre was very smooth here (very important to me). There was something about the Ayre's sound (natural? musical?) that led me to believe that it would offer a lot more favorable personality in a more revealing system than it did here.

Parasound Halo D3 RBCD vs Ayre CX-7e RBCD:

This one was a bit easier to declare. The Ayre was more dynamic, smoother, and more detailed on RBCD. The CD that closed the deal in favor of the Ayre was an old Linda Ronstadt Cd (Cry like a rainstorm - Howl like the Wind) that my CJ buddy loves on his tubes but I never really cared for on my SS - it has good soundstaging and dynamics but is pretty bright. The Parasound did well, except on Linda's vocals - they were pretty grainy. Not so with the Ayre. Since, again, the Vandersteen's are so laid back in the highs, my guess is that this one area (female vocals on RBCD) is where the Ayre will offer a good deal of improvement over the D3 in my system. Most of my favorite music is female vocals.

I ended up buying the Ayre CX-7 (to be upgraded to CX-7e in July) off of Audiogon, but I will tell you that I could live happily with the Parasound after this comparison. It is a very fine player indeed to be competitive with a $3500 player that is consistently said to be one of the best out there. When the Ayre gets here next Friday, I will do comparisons between the two in MY system - then I can tell you what's what. Who knows - I may end up keeping the Parasound in addition to the Ayre or ... maybe instead of!

Stay in touch.

Dave

[Peter Nielsen]

FWIW, if PS Audio is to blame, I'm not surprised.

After my THIRD Quintessence, I'm now giving up on this brand. The 3rd one died on me after 5 weeks, and is going back to PS Audio for service. When it gets back, it'll go on auction. No more PS Audio in my home. (History: First unit was DOA and had scratch on front panel. Second unit worked, but looked like a refurb with covered-up scratches on bottom of unit. Third unit was perfect and worked fine. However, after 5 weeks it went dead... :banghead: )

I've ordered an APC S15. APC has worked fine for a decade protecting my computers, so I believe this is a brand I can trust.

Peter

[timztunz]

Got Crossram's Unit

Hey Crossram,

I take it you made up your mind and returned your D3 Serial #1614? Because I received that serial number Friday night. After just a couple of hours play yesterday its now hung up on "Loading" with a Nora Jones SACD in the tray. I can't even get the disc out. I wish I had read this forum before buying this. I might not have done so. This is very frustrating!

[Chris D]

Heya, Tim, welcome to the Guide and Club Parasound! :banana:

Gee, sorry to hear about the D3 problems. Not sure what has happened with some of you guys--my D3 is still running fine. Tim, did you buy a refurbished unit, I take it?

[timztunz]

Refurbished D3?

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the welcome. I really have to question whether it was refurbished or not. Since Crossman's first post on this was 5/25/08 and as late as 5/31/08 he had not committed to returning the unit, it doesn't seem to me that there would have been time for him to return it, it go back to Parasound, be refurbished and end up at Audio Advisor for me to purchase and have delivered. The time frame all seems to short to me. I could tell that the packaging and inner packages had been opened before. I thought a refurbished unit would have had new bags, new twist ties around the power cord, etc. But then, I could be wrong and this is all just a great coincidence.

I'm glad to hear of the success with your D3 though. It's good to know that there ARE good ones out there. I was really looking forward to having this piece in my system, and still am.

[RJKuzma]

This really concerns me if Audio Advisor is reselling returns as new or refurbished gear without first having Parasound examine and test the device.

[timztunz]

I hope that's not the case. I should know soon enough though. I have a friend with a contact at Parasound who will research the serial # and see if they've had it back for refurbishing within the last 30-45 days. That would have had to be the time frame.

[timztunz]

Turns out my suspicions were correct. The unit never went back to Parasound. Parasound says this is a known problem with some of the transports (which will never be used again). My unit has been returned to Audio Advisor for refund. If another unit shows up on Audio Advisor for sale be very leary of serial number 01614.

Ordered an NAD Master Series M5, not from Audio Advisor.

I hope I can still stay in Club Halo/Parasound. I do still have a JC-2 (which is incredible by the way) and I do lust after a pair of JC-1's.

[Chris D]

We're not exclusive around here... anybody at all is welcome, to talk about Parasound-related shtuff, regardless if you're an owner or not.

That completely sucks about Audio Advisor, that they re-sold a problem unit. :wtf: