Parasound has established close and long-term relationships, some spanning more than three decades, with contract manufacturers in Taiwan, which are responsible for the manufacturing. Parasound has announced a new flagship stereo power amp, the Halo JC5. I want to try something new in my system for a week or two before buying. Speakers are PSB T3 Imagine Towers (love these) and.a Rega P3 that I have upgraded with the GrooveTracer platter and TT PSU and belt so that it is basically a P6. I also kept around my old Snell E.5 MK2 towers that I have hooked in with an AB switch to the NAD. The other is to buy it from Audio Advisor (or similar dealer) with a 30-day no-hassle return privilege. I was wondering if anyone had an opinion about the Manhattan II. I was also looking at PS Audio because I watch Paul McGowan's videos a lot also. My current system consists of an NAD M32 with a BluOS2 card. The Parasound's output impedance was a very low 0.067 ohm at 20Hz and 1kHz, increasing slightly to 0.085 ohm at 20kHz. ALL B-stock items are all professionally inspected by Parasound technicians and, most importantly, ALL B-Stock products contain the exact same FULL Parasound manufacturer’s warranty. That mono amp was awarded by Stereophile as Power Amplifier of the Year in 2003 and has honored it as a ‘Class A Recommended Component’ twice a year for fifteen years. Some have said the JC5 would improve "bass presence and control". Parasound at Rocky Mountain AudioFest 2017 - Stereophile review by Herb Reichert 4 Distinct Product Lines Halo is our premier line with a reputation for going head-to-head with the most expensive equipment on the market, while costing a fraction of the price. Add Parasound Jc5 to NAD M32? Very occasionally, I will put on one of my old albums for nostalgia and marvel at how much cleaner the sound the Rega produces compared with my old Technics table though I suspect the Elys 2 underperforms. I liked all that. I had to get rid of the A21+ because I had an old Parasound 1205 5 channel amp and I was not able to find much of difference between the A21+ and 1205, the difference was very marginal when did the AB comparison . I can't find a dealer nearby so that I can listen to that pairing yet. Thanks for the input. Would the sound improvement be noticeable or minor? Stereophile’s review of the Parasound JC-2 suggested that the preamp is lean or perhaps analytical. So the local dealer set up a demo for me. It's really interesting the responses you get back when asking questions like this. Even when connected to my new Denon X6700h 2020 AVR, the sound was very pleasing for 2 channel music. So when Para - sound prexy Richard Schram e-mailed me, after last year’s Home Entertain - ment Show, to ask if he could drop Additionally, Parasound's A21 just won a… I loved them and still do and couldn’t bare to part, hence the switch. Not sure how to describe it but the sound was fuller, more "muscular", and richer. Obviously, there are a lot of pieces to consider; but I'l focus on the amp/pre-amp selection. I will check out those other amplifiers. It has two balanced inputs and a balanced out; unheard of at this price. Another person told me he was concerned the JC5 could be "too bright", which is kind of the opposite of improving bass presence. One way is to get the dealer to loan it to you for a week or at least 2 days. I had the Parasound 3500 in my setup for about a year with the same speakers, then decided to upgrade from Paradigms to B&W's, and after the speakers (CDM 9NT's) were burned in, there was a huge difference in the sound, with better, less sterile mids and much silkier highs, less grain in … While the JC 1 driver was a single-stage circuit, for the JC 1+, John Curl designed a two-stage, cascode driver that would have some of the favorable attributes of vacuum tubes. Putting a new system together. Then the dealer deviously broke my heart. I didn't get the amp and bring it home - I don't really have room (or strength) to be hooking in the JC5 and lugging it back if I don't like it. Warranty: Five years parts and labor. The latter is the best power amp I have ever owned and paired with … I've heard the JC5 and thought it was very good and offered a lot of bang for the buck. ( probably all my listening should be done with class A ) Please let me know, thanks. Parasound was founded in 1981 by Richard Schram, and the company has been offering audio products under their own name as well as for OEM sales since then. The Positive Feedback review claimed it sometimes sounds a bit sweet. Came to market to compete and better the original JC1 monos (stereophile class A rated for longest time) performance in 1 box. Is it a waste of the NAD M32, which I think is a nice piece of equipment. This is an amp that won the "Best of the Year" award from The Absolute Sound! Thanks for a great review, John - I thoroughly enjoyed reading your write up. I say this not because I’m partial to Parasound products in general, but because I flat out believe there is no better phonostage on the market within shouting distance of its price. I'm not negative towards Parasound. I have had a few Parasound products over the years and currently own a P6 paired with a JC 5 power amp. I left lots of space around it.). The JC2 is replaced with JC2 BP. ary2003Stereophile (Vol.26No.2).And I’d had enormous respect for the Halo JC 1’s designer, John Curl, ever since the early 1990s, when I’d used and enjoyed one of his Vendetta SCP-2 phono preamplifiers. I tried paring these majestic speakers with a Parasound A21+ for a couple of months ( Source is my Denon ).. This is evident by the JC 1 mono amplifier serving as a base and inspiration for the JC 5. If not, ship it back for a refund. Well, I bit the bullet. There is really no other way to find out what it sounds like in your system and home. Given how infrequently I will listen to vinyl, I am done with upgrading the Rega. The design is … But you have to buy a separate preamp and DAC from what I can tell. "Doing so has proved that extremely high performance-per-dollar is still possible today when a company leverages decades of experience, and is spearheaded by a legend." The Krell Dou 125 ibias amplifier is a better amplifier, and it sells for $5500. CD player and a casette deck are both legacy Harmon Kardon gear from my old system that I have hung onto just because. Released as a cut-down version of the more expensive JC3+, Paul Rigby reviews the Parasound JC3 Jr phono amplifier A few years back, I reviewed Parasound’s JC3+ phono amplifier, a dual mono design that was noted for its particular internal layout. "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. The Parasound Halo JC 1 monoblock was designed by John Curl and introduced 16 years ago to instant international acclaim. I suggest that it might be exactly what you need. It was kindly sent to me by a member. will I be able to notice the first 12 W of Class A in my setup ? I just purchased a new amp for 3 times its MSRP price to better it. I am relatively new to this era of audio, but I find myself drawn to monoblock amps. While I don’t have space for monoblocks, the JC 5 seems a better way to get at separate components and maybe better sound. Parasound's new $2995 JC3+ is a significantly upgraded version of the already high performance original JC3 phono preamplifier, though outwardly it looks identical to the handsome original. The new Parasound Halo JC 5 combines high power and ultra-high bias Class A/AB sonic quality at roughly two-thirds the price of a pair of JC 1s. Some will; some won't. Even when connected to my new Denon X6700h 2020 AVR, the sound was very pleasing for 2 channel music. In 2003, Stereophile awarded it 'Amplifier of the Year' and has honored it as a 'Class A Recommended Component' twice a year for fifteen years - far longer than any other audio component. In the interests of transparency readers should know that the $2999 Parasound JC 3+ has been my reference phonostage since I reviewed it in Issue 245. One of my friends said it was like Diana Krall was singing in the room. Greetings, I'm new after a 40-year break from hi-fi in the 70s. I am not looking for a warm sound or lean sound. Parasound Products, Inc. 2250 McKinnon Avenue San Francisco, CA 94124 Phone: (415) 397-7100 Fax: (415) 397-0144. He suggested I consider the Cary SA 200.2 amplifier. 9 out of every 10 Parasound products have won an award from at least one top-tier audiophile publication. Parasound Halo JC 5 Stereo/Mono Amplifier Price: $5995 USD. This is a review and detailed measurements of the Parasound JC2 Preamp. The Mytek added a bit more definition and clarity. (Still have JBL L100s though). But Rf7III thrilled me with its dynamics. You know, the amplifiers that remained on Stereophile… They too had suggested I consider upgrading the preamp but didn't suggest a brand. I have to say, this also made a difference but at the higher end. Every 10 Parasound products at a discounted price l focus on the side. 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