It’s more holographic while the BHK is more grounded and intimate. It’s easy to see why this Parasound has its set of loyal followers. . I own one and drive Sopra 2s. It is, instead, an everything's-under-control, don't-worry-now mellow." For example, in Hocus Pocus by Focus, the side electric guitars never wane or sinks while the stereo scene unfolds vividly – and in an atmospheric cloud of chaos. Personally, I prefer amps like this that strive for speed and transparency as opposed to a more colored signature. Its ability to provide a pristinely focused center image could be easily heard in both Linda Rondstadt’s Blue Bayou and Diana Panton’s A Little Girl A Little Boy A Little Moon. testiranje in svetovanje | VAT: SI56343604 | Reg. The net weight is 73 lbs. I had the A21 and moved to the JC1s. This is a review and detailed measurements of the Parasound JC2 Preamp. Power output: 400 watts per channel into 8Ω (stereo), 1200 watts into 8Ω (mono) ... Parasound Power Amplifiers. Username or e-mail: * For $5995, it offers reference-quality sound, and enough power to easily drive any loudspeaker. This wasn’t, by any means, inexpensive and given their history of building high performance-to-price equipment – we were very intrigued. The Parasound Halo JC 5 stereo amplifier not only excels in the technical qualities of great sound, it does so with sheer ease and tenacity. Amplifiers. Your email address will not be published. The amplifier is amazingly quiet, tonally balanced with an ability to deliver detail and layering in a price bracket just a notch below some of it’s bigger brothers. Halo JC1. It has independent secondary windings for its dual-mono power supply. But thanks to better technology and improved design, things are changing. No issues… very happy. Roger Kanno Quick and crisp, well-timed transients. Sounds like a very nice amp at its price point and it should drive many speakers well. Parasound, based out of San Francisco, was founded by a former audio retailer Richard Schram. and to do so, is to review the amp without any enhancements. The Halo JC 5 wasn’t shy about showing off its feathers. With more energetic and involved tracks, the Halo JC 5 stays composed and unperturbed. Your email address will not be published. It’s also capable of delineating fine lines of strings and leading edges of rapid piano notes with confidence and speed. Smooth and coherent articulation. They can be switched out of the signal path when not needed, giving a slightly clearer sound. The design is … COMMENTdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a61928d4b353e87457d6cab069a29a9d" );document.getElementById("d82ac01be1").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I am currently using a Parasound A51 amp. High bias class A/AB provides 12 watts per channel pure class A power and class AB effortlessly to its 400 watts per channel 8 ohm rating. The Parasound Halo JC 1 monoblock was designed by John Curl and since then has garnered an amazing amount of popularity and notoriety as a benchmark for amplifier performance and value. I apologize for my earlier comment because it was a lie. Login / Register. Five-way "propeller" speaker binding posts are custom-manufactured for Parasound by CHK Infinium. That’s why we’ve had decades of purist amplifiers that have sported little more than source selection, a volume control, and a remote if you’re lucky. Although the A21 is nice, the JC1 is a definite step up. They are 24k gold-plated and accept 7-gauge bare wire. I wouldn’t trade it for the world! Incredible spatial resolution – soundstage width and depth are nothing short of stunning. I can’t recommend Parasound’s Halo JC 5 highly enough.. . Those who value soundstage and resolution will prefer the JC 5. The output stage employs 24 beta-matched, 15 ampere, 60 MHz bipolar transistors to deliver a formidable peak current of 90 amperes. These trolls posting as Joseph can’t be taken seriously. I currently own the Paracast A51 amp. After properly breaking in the JC 5 for ten days straight, we finally sat down for a listen. Its balanced inputs use discrete circuits with Neutrik locking XLR connectors, and Vampire 24k gold-plated RCA input and loop output jacks. Vocals are refined and well-textured. Familiar recordings sounded immediately more spacious and deeply quiet at the same time. Very easy to listen to. The Halo A 23+ stereo power amplifier ($1495 USD) measures 17.25”W x 4.2”H x 15.25”D and weighs 27 pounds. Instrumental and vocal timbre are remarkably solid and palpable with incredible spatial resolution. Although not as thick or dense as the other amplifiers in this comparison, the JC 5 does provide minute contrasts and color to give just enough perspective. Textures and details that are glossed over in the A21 as one fat note. A stupid and condescending comment, it adds nothing to this discussion and it reflects poor on you. Designed by John Curl, the Halo JC5 combines two Halo JC 1 monoblock power amplifiers into a single chassis running via Class A/AB topography High bias class A/AB provides 12W per channel pure class A power and class AB to its 400W 8 ohm rating. Parasound's refined Halo design aesthetic is evident in the JC 5. At first the JC1s seemed to have a conservative bass, but turns out, it just was more detailed. Login/Register. We can’t remember the last time we reviewed a product such as this with bass and treble controls. This time I have none. You get a switchable phono stage, a headphone output and even tone controls. Its ability to articulate and grip tracks with a multitude of singers and instruments is uncanny. Wonderful twinkles above and thumps below while being surprisingly coherent. . Parasound has introduced its Halo JC 5 stereo amplifier that was designed by audio legend John Curl. Remembering Aretha Franklin (1942 – 2018), SOtM’s First Audiophile Power Conditioner – The mT-1000. It joins the two-channel Halo A 21 and the five-channel Halo A 51 -- only the Halo JC 1 monoblock costs more. Its case is available in silver or the black of my review sample, which looked very elegant. Zoom images. . Those who want something fuller and more organic (with the option to roll your own tubes) will probably enjoy the BHK 250. Often, in the Conclusion of a review, I offer a few qualifying thoughts or caveats. This is evident with the release of the new Parasound A 21+ stereo power amp ($3150), the successor to the A 21, which was originally launched in 2003. Parasound has introduced its Halo JC 5 stereo amplifier that was designed by audio legend John Curl. The BHK isn’t as warm or dense as the MC452 but gets closer than the JC 5. HCA-1000A. Would the JC5 be an upgrade move for me? Check out our SNEAK PEEKS on Facebook and Instagram! I sold my McIntosh MA9000 and McIntosh MC462 to buy the JC 5 and I must say… the JC 5 is better in every single way. . Will startle you at times with the right material. The BHK did benefit from having some Synergistic Research MiGs places underneath resulting in more focus and increased closer detail, nudging it closer to the solid-state JC 5. Parasound calls the Halo Integrated a … The Halo JC5 can deliver 600W per channel into 4 Ohms and can be bridged to mono for 1,200W into 8 ohms. Saying it’s a great value is a bit of a disservice. The background is pitch black as the percussions delicately play with the proper amount of shine and slam. Whoever commented used my name and is a troll. . We challenged John Curl to distill the essence of two JC 1 mono blocks into a single chassis, and the result has exceeded everyone's expectations.". The JC 5 also does a better job layering out the soundstage and separating out the performers. Our favorite recording with the JC 5 was Feeling of Jazz – Wynton Marsalis (with Dianne Reeves). This level of clarity and resolution typically comes at the cost of sounding sterile and dry. Caffeine. Parasound Halo, ZoneMaster, Z Custom, and NewClassic are four distinct product families. Driver and output stages employ massive Rubycon filter caps totaling 132,000 µF. Not apples to apples. It has a very free-flowing and coherent nature about it while providing granular delivery of the overlapping complexities. It also exhibits its strength in treble accuracy and bass definition in tracks such as Shatter Me by Lindsey Stirling. Posted by Steve J | Aug 24, 2018 | Amplifiers, Reviews, Solid-State | 15 - Finest Cuts, John Curl, Parasound. These differences could partially be attributed to the tube input stage vs the complete solid-state build of the JC 5. The Parasound Halo JC 5 stereo amplifier is profoundly powerful and supremely musical. While the flagship JC 2 preamplifier garnishes so much attention, the popular P 3 was well received, hit a perfect market slot at a great price point. James, per Parasound, the amp is stable into 1.5ohms. Remarkably precise soundscape imaging and separation. After 15 years of devoted service, Parasound has retired its beloved Halo A 21 amplifier. Designed by John Curl, Parasound say “the Halo JC5 distils the essence of the top-of-the-line Halo JC 1 monoblock power amplifiers into a single chassis”. "The new JC 5 is a remarkable amplifier that creates a new sweet spot in our Halo product family," said Richard Schram, the president and founder of Parasound. Parasound JC 5 Halo Stereo Power Amplifier A Chip Off the Old Monoblock Parasound's Halo JC 5 distills the essence of two Halo JC 1 monoblocks into a single-chassis stereo amp with outstanding sound quality, power, and value. By any measure, the Halo JC 5 is a superb power amplifier. We were recently approached by Parasound regarding their new $5,995 Halo JC 5 stereo amplifier. This is one heavy preamplifier which weighs as much as some power amps! Its replacement, the Halo A 21+, is priced a little higher at $2,995. The MC452 is more organically textured and warmblooded. The BHK has a softer and more naturalistic tone while the JC 5 promotes more clarity and texture. Instead, the JC 5 remains incredibly musical, liquid, and fast. Parasound, a Bay Area maker with a half-century of success walking the parapet between high end audiophilia and value-engineering design, apparently concurs. The JC 5 is more transparent, more detailed, and much quieter. 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