Description
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.
What's inside matters!
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!
The Parasound Halo JC 5 is available in black and silver finishes - please specify on order.
Parasound Halo Series JC 5 Reference Stereo Amplifier by John Curl - Features & Benefits:
600 watts x 2 @ 4 Ω RMS, both channels driven
1200 watts x 1@ 8 Ω, in bridged mode
Circuitry designed by legendary John Curl
Ultra-high bias Class A/AB operation
12 watts per channel of pure Class A power
90 amperes peak current per channel
Stable with speaker impedance dips to 1.5 Ω
Balanced inputs with discrete circuits
CHK Infinium, custom 5-way speaker binding posts
Neutrik locking XLR input connectors
Vampire gold-plated RCA input & loop output jacks
Direct-coupled signal path, no capacitors or inductors
DC Servo and relay protection circuits
AC turn-on inrush surge protection with relay bypass
Dual-mono input stages with ±110 volt DC rails
JFET input stage, MOSFET driver stage
24 beta-matched 15 ampere, 60 MHz bipolar output transistors
1.7 kVA shielded toroid power transformer with independent windings for each channel
Independent power supplies for left & right channel input stages, driver stages, output stages
8,880 µF Nichicon Gold Tune filter capacitors for input stages
132,000 µF Rubycon filter capacitors for output stages
Full power is rated all the way down to 5Hz for unrestricted low-end bass
Harris hyper-fast soft-recovery bridge diode rectifiers
Automatic turn-on by 12 V trigger or audio sensing
4 rack space chassis with rear carry handles
Rack mount hardware is included
Available in silver or black
Parasound Halo Series JC 5 Reference Stereo Amplifier by John Curl - Specifications:
Power Output – Both Channels Driven:
400 watts x 2, 8 Ω
600 watts x 2, 4 Ω
Power Output – Bridged Mode:
1200 watts x 1, 8 Ω (Bridged 4 Ω operation is not recommended)
Power measurement parameters are at 120 VAC:
0.05% THD, RMS continuous power, full audio band (20 Hz - 20 kHz)
Current Capacity:
90 amps peak, per channel
Slew Rate:
> 130 volts per microsecond
Frequency Response:
5 Hz - 100 kHz, +0/-3 dB
20 Hz - 20 kHz, +0/-0.25 dB
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD):
< 0.05 % at full power
< 0.03 % at typical listening levels
IM Distortion:
< 0.04 %
TIM:
Unmeasurable
Inter-channel Crosstalk:
> 87 dB at 1 kHz
> 72 dB at 20 kHz
Input Impedance:
Unbalanced: 33 kΩ
Balanced: 66 kΩ,(33 kΩ per leg)
Total Gain:
29 dB
Input Sensitivity for 28.28 V Output into 8 Ω:
Unbalanced: 1 V
Balanced: 1 V per leg
S/N Ratio:
> 116 dB, input shorted, IHF A-weighted
> 111 dB, input shorted, unweighted
Damping Factor:
> 1200 at 20 k Hz
DC Trigger Requirements:
+9 Vdc to +12 Vdc, 5 mA
Audio Trigger Requirements:
2 mV - 10 mV
XLR Pin Identification:
1 = Ground (Shield)
2 = Positive
3 = Negative (Return)
Dimensions:
Width: 17-5⁄8" (448 mm)
Height without feet: 7-1⁄8" (181 mm)
Height with feet: 7-3/4" " (197 mm)
Depth: 20" (508 mm)
Depth with cables: 21-1⁄2" (546 mm)
Net Weight:
73 lb. (33.1 kg)
Shipping Weight:
90 lb. (40.8 kg)
Power Requirement:
Standby: 1 Watt
Idle (no music playing): 225 Watts
Typical listening levels: 400 Watts
Maximum: 1500 Watts
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