Parasound introduces the Halo JC 5 stereo amplifier, based on the JC 1 monoblock concept. The Parasound JC 5 amplifier delivers up to 400 Watts per channel into 8 ohms, 600 Watts into 4 ohms, and a whopping 1200 Watts/8 ohms in bridged mono mode. As the manufacturer explains, the Parasound JC 5 was created for the company’s customers who loved the Halo JC 1 monoblock amplifier.
The new model has become a more affordable and compact continuation of the JC 1. According to Parasound, the JC 5 operates in pure A-class up to 12 W per channel and can “effortlessly” deliver all 400 W in class AB. The power supply of the new Halo JC 5 contains a high-quality 1.7 kVA toroidal transformer. The pre-final and final stages use massive Rubycon capacitors with a total volume of 132,000 uF. In addition, the final stage contains 24 matched 15 amp bipolar transistors, capable of delivering up to 90 amps peak current.
On the rear panel of the amplifier there are balanced inputs on Neutrik XLR connectors and gold-plated Vampire RCA connectors. The acoustic terminals were manufactured by CHK Infinium specifically for Parasound. Halo JC 5 weighs 33 kg.
One of the features of Parasound branded power amplifiers is a high damping factor – an indicator that directly characterizes the amplifier’s ability to cope with complex loads and handle dynamic moments. While most home class AB amplifiers have a dumping factor of about 100 units is already considered a good indicator, for the Parasound JC 5 it is 1200. Therefore, before the advent of class D amplifiers, Parasound had very few competitors, however, even now they can the envy of many.
The power supply of the Parasound JC 5 amplifier also has a very significant power reserve. With a maximum output power of 1200 W in bridged mode or 2x 600 W in stereo mode, the JC 5 has a 1700 W toroidal transformer and a capacitor bank with a total capacity of 132,000 uF. The excess resource gives confidence that the amplifier will efficiently handle peak loads and will not blur the sound when playing fast, dynamic music. Parasound Halo JC 5 is capable of producing, together with the Parasound JC2 BP preamplifier, a sound that can easily be called exemplary in the top Hi-End class.
Characteristics of Parasound JC 5
Line inputs 2 stereo RCA, 2 stereo XL
Power per channel at 4 ohms 800 W (20 Hz – 20 kHz)
Power per channel at 8 ohms 400 W (20 Hz – 20 kHz)
Power per channel at 2 ohms 1200 W (20 Hz – 20 kHz)
Peak output current 135 A
Slew rate 130 V/ms
Damping factor > 1200 at 20 Hz
Total harmonic distortion <0.15% (at full power)
Input impedance 100 kOhm
Signal-to-noise ratio 120 dB (high offset), 122 dB (low offset)
Power consumption 250 W (no load), 1280 W (full load, 4 ohms)
Power, channel status and overheat indicators
THX certified THX Ultra2
Dimensions (WxHxD) 438 x 195 x 510 mm
Weight 33 kg
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