Parasound Halo JC 5 Power Amplifier
The Halo JC 5 is Parasound's new, ultra - high performance, 400 watt per channel, Class A/AB, stereo power amplifier. They are very proud of this latest achievement of Parasound engineering in concert with legendary audio equipment designer John Curl.
Their John Curl - designed Halo JC 1 mono block is acknowledged as the ultimate benchmark for amplifier performance and value. Stereophile awarded it 2003 Amplifier of the Year and has honored it as a Class A Recommended Component for fifteen years -far longer than any other audio product.
For years, Parasound customers and dealers around the world have petitioned them for an alternative amplifier: a John Curl - designed, Halo stereo power amplifier which would save them money and space. Developing a stereo amplifier in this league was a formidable challenge for Parasound - the kind that they relish. As a consequence - they challenged John Curl to distill the essence of two JC 1 mono blocks into a single chassis stereo amplifier with a more attractive price.
As a direct result, Halo JC 5 stereo amplifier is profoundly powerful and supremely musical. John Curl’s signature appears discreetly on its front panel honoring his considerable role in its development. The JC 5 will delight the ears and wallets of serious audiophiles and music lovers alike. With exquisite performance and compelling value, the JC 5 is the new amplifier benchmark.
John Curl has been designing for Parasound since 1989. He was already a legend in the '70s for designing and building mixing consoles for The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane. He designed the iconic Mark Levinson JC-2, Vendetta and Constellation phono stages and mic preamps and master recorders for Wilson Audio and Mobile Fidelity. Curl’s inspired designs have earned Parasound world-wide acclaim and our stunning new JC 5 is certain to build on this storied heritage.
Power amplifiers must eliminate input stage distortion in order to avoid output stage distortion which is especially irritating to a listener. In typical power amplifiers the input and output stages share the same power supply. When driven hard their output stages’ voltage will sag, dragging down the input stage voltage that’s critical for preventing these distortions. A signature feature of the JC 5 (and JC 1) is a separate independent input stage power supply for each channel that is always 10 volts higher than the output stage voltage. Maintaining input stage voltage prevents distortion even under the most demanding conditions.
High current is essential for uncompromised sound. The JC 5 output (current) stage uses 24 Sanken 15A output transistors, carefully hand-matched for maximum performance. Their 60MHz bandwidth eliminates slew-rate distortion that robs music of its nuances. They operate in pure Class A up to 12 watts per channel, eliminating distortion that blurs music at lower listening levels. Eliminating noise at the input stage is also critical. The JC 5 uses rare Toshiba 2SJ74 J-FETs which are highly coveted for their ultra-low noise.
Every part within the JC 5 is carefully chosen for its accuracy, sound quality and long life. Its speaker terminals are new, developed in collaboration with CHK. Their ample size and wide spacing accommodates even the largest gauge speaker wire or spade connectors. High quality 24 K gold-plating on the speaker terminals, input connectors and internal audio signal connections assure sound quality that won’t be compromised by corrosion.
The new Parasound JC 5 with it's advanced circuitry, premier parts selection, unequaled sound quality, and stunning design is bound to secure this amplifier a place in audio history!
