PARASOUND HALO JC5

Parasound has introduced a 400 watt per channel stereo amplifier designed by John Curl that incorporates design elements of two top-of-the-line Halo JC 1 monoblock power amplifiers into a single chassis, the same size as one JC 1. 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.

The Parasound Halo JC 1 monoblock was designed by John Curl and introduced 16 years ago to instant international acclaim. It is acknowledged as the benchmark for amplifier performance and value. 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.

"The 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. "Our customers often tell us they love everything the JC 1 offers, while wondering if we could deliver comparable performance in a no-compromise stereo power amplifier, and save them money and space. We challenged John Curl to distill the essence of two JC 1 mono blocks into a single chassis, and the result has far exceeded everyone's expectations."

The Parasound Halo JC 5 stereo amplifier is profoundly powerful and supremely musical. 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. It can also deliver 1,200 watts, 8 ohms in mono bridged mode. The output stage employs 24 beta-matched, 15 ampere, 60 MHz bipolar transistors to deliver a formidable peak current rating of 90 amperes.

The power supply employs a 1.7 kVA shielded toroid power transformer with a premium
H-18 grade steel core. It has independent secondary windings for its dual-mono power
supplies. As with the JC 1, the input stage B /B- rails are 10 V above the output stage
rails. This eliminate any chance of distortion from voltage sagging when the amp is under
load to eliminate a major source of distortion in most power amplifiers. Independent
power supplies for the left and right channel input stages employ premium quality filter
capacitors totaling 8,880 μF. Driver and output stages employ massive Rubycon filter
capacitors totaling 132,000 μF.

The Halo JC 5 is direct-coupled and is protected by DC servo circuits to eliminate the
need for coupling capacitors, while extending its -3 dB power output down to at 5 Hz. Its
balanced inputs use discrete circuits with Neutrik locking type XLR connectors, and
Vampire 24 k gold-plated RCA input and loop output jacks. 5-way “propeller” speaker
binding posts are custom-manufactured for Parasound. They are 24 k gold-plated, they
accommodate very large spade lugs and accept 7-gauge bare wire. Parasound includes
a premium quality 9-foot detachable IEC 12 gauge power cord with connectors that are
silver-soldered connectors.

Parasound’s updated and more refined Halo design aesthetic is immediately evident in
the JC 5. Slim, hand-milled solid aluminum endcaps and gold highlights amplify its grace
and elegance. The JC 5 is available in silver or black. Rack mount hardware for its four
rack space chassis is included. The shipping weight is 95 lbs.
The Parasound Halo JC 5 Stereo Amplifier will be available from Parasound Authorized400 watts x 2 @ 8 Ω RMS, both channels driven

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
Premium quality 9' (3m) 12-gauge IEC power cord, with silver soldered connectors
Available in silver or black