Backgrounds are still eerily quiet, instrumental colors ripe, and channel separation exquisite. E-Glo S Tube Phono Preamplifier Review. Paul Rigby reviews the JC 3+ This John Curl-designed phono amp is nothing if not a stickler for isolation. The resulting Parasound Halo JC 3 Jr. is a high-performance, low-noise stereo phono preamplifier for use with moving magnet and moving coil (MM and MC) phono cartridges. Sure, there are preamplifiers costing just several hundred dollars but not with these features and this pedigree. Dandy Hydraulic LP Cleaning Apparatus MKII, PreSonus Eris E3.5 Powered Speakers Review, Still Blown Away After All These Years: JBL Launches 75th Anniversary Edition of L100 Loudspeaker. In that case, the JC 3+ now available to you makes more sense. Whether you believe in capturing the quality of the original live performance or the reproduction of music, matters not if the end result is the pure enjoyment, and that's the goal. Free shipping. Shipped with USPS Parcel Select Ground. John Coltrane’s Blue Train record is a good example of The Halo JC 3 Jr’s ability to articulate instruments, not only Coltrane’s tenor sax but the brassy and airy trumpet, the full trombone and the warmth of the piano. The beauty here with the Halo JC 3 Jr is that you do not have to remove the cover to make the adjustments, typical of other phono preamplifiers. View and Download Parasound HALO JC 3+ owner's manual online. Contrary to the size suggested by the photographs, the actual unit is larger than you might expect and takes up a full shelf on an audio rack. It remains, in my view one of the most worthy phonostages on the market. Turning to numbers the moving coil signal-to-noise ratio is improved from 75dB to 87dB, A-weighted. Critically there’s a subtle reduction of haze and veiling on top, which further sweetened Joni Mitchell’s folksy soprano during “A Case of You” from Blue [A&M]. 7: December 2020, A COLLECTION OF NEW VINYL FOR THE AUDIOPHILE: DECEMBER 2020, What We’re Listening To. I was struck by the very quiet nature of the JC 3 Jr without a record playing, turning up the preamplifier to ungodly volumes is the only way to get any hiss out of the Halo JC 3 Jr, and ultimately my system. Further validation of the JC 3+’s broader dynamic contrasts came during the “Winter” movement of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons [Argo]. Completely aware of the large market for more affordable turntable phono preamplifiers, Parasound developed for half the cost, the JC 3 Jr. Once again with John Curl designing the circuitry, the new compact Jr. may become legendary on its own – I placed it in my setup along with my Halo P5 preamplifier and A21, both mainstays in my reference system for a while now. The piano in “So Nice” is so sexy and fun, flirty. With potentially so many factors involved in the evaluation of audio equipment, the results cannot possibly be "correct" for everyone - making the art of high fidelity extremely subjective. Fourthly, I liked the nice pace and timing out of the Halo JC 3 Jr. Did it ever sound like it was spinning too slow or that the music didn’t quite resolve itself? Copyright © 2021 The Absolute Sound. $249.99. Opening the case reveals two aluminum boxes, each marked “Single Channel Phono Stage.” 23 watching. Parasound’s brand new Halo JC 3 Jr. phono preamplifier is a simplified version of the company’s award-winning flagship JC 3+ and they sound very similar. This dual mono design has each channel contained in its own aluminium housing. JC 3+ Phono Preamplifier. The new Halo Jr had a nice balance across the spectrum – the mid-range especially taut. ... Parasound Halo JC3+ MM / MC Phono Preamplifier; Silver; JC-3+ $2,414.00. The latter gives the sort of performance that some rivals struggle to beat at twice the price, so with its common parentage there’s a sporting chance this new baby will be good. > 91dB, input shorted, unweighted, Unbalanced: < 100 Ω Any fan of Parasound Audio gear knows all too well the “JC” moniker in their Halo line stands for John Curl. They turned to Vishay, a top manufacturer of low-noise parts, which ultimately agreed to develop a potentiometer and manufacture it in small quantities for Parasound. But just so, I would have expected a tiny bit more sparkle at the top. Condition is "Used". I had an opportunity to listen to these phonostages side by side, and I’m glad I did. So when Parasound prexy Richard Schram e-mailed me, after last year's Home Entertainment Show, to ask if he could drop round with a sample of his new, Curl-designed Halo JC 2 line preamplifier, he didn't need to twist my arm too much. Parasound Halo JC3 Phono Preamplifier. Although the upright base could have been a bit deeper and punchier, it nonetheless was ample to compliment the trio of horns. Truthfully the JC 3 Jr. is not a 3+. It provides three key gain settings, with sensible cartridge matching options and a mono button to boot. You'll have to examine very closely to find any signs of wear. As readers will recall, the original JC 3 clinched a Golden Ear Award not long after I reviewed it in Issue 215. (8.6 kg), Parasound, Parasound Product, Products reviews, Parasound Review 2018. I for one find the Halo JC 3 Jr outstanding for value and performance. Upgraded and enhanced, Parasound has added more than ‘go-faster’ stripes onto its new phono amplifier. According to Parasound's founder and CEO, Richard Schram, the Halo JC 3 began as a phono-preamp retrofit for the JC 2 line stage, with separate small circuit boards for each channel. The Parasound HALO JC3+ Reference MM/MI/MC Phono Amplifier has Variable MC Impedance adjustment of 50-550 ohm to match with any MC cartridge. E.A.T. The gear I’m using is probably right in line with the value and affordability of the Halo JC 3 Jr preamplifier: A Marantz Reference TT-15S1 turntable with a Clearaudio Virtuosso wood ebony MM cartridge (47k Ohm loading with an output voltage of 3.6 mV). Solid State Preamplifiers: $1850.00: NY Mar 26, 2020: 55 : FOR SALE: Parasound Halo JC3+ Phono Preamp Excellent Condition: Phono Preamplifiers: $2000.00: NY Mar 26, 2020: 56 : FOR SALE: Aural Thrills Audio Serenade all tube mm/mc phono amplifier The power supply is partitioned between the two, and the combination thereby reducing the chassis size. Parasound P/SP-1000 AV Processor/Preamplifier Tested/Works . Thirdly, the Halo JC 3 Jr is solid state, I would almost expect besides a lower noise floor, less distortion and more control. >84dB, input shorted unweighted, > 94dB, input shorted, IHF A-weighted In the case of Parasound’s £2299 Halo JC3 Junior, it qualifies on account of family ties, with its big brother being the excellent £3999 JC3+ [HFN Oct ’15]. $94.03 shipping. About 200 were produced, all were hand-built. But it does articulate. The Absolute Sound’s Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2018. First, hats off to Parasound for not bowing to convention and badging its new, hot-rodded version of the original JC 3 phonostage with the shop-worn cliché “Reference” or “Signature Edition.” And second, and more importantly, if you’re a current owner of the Parasound JC 3 phonostage, don’t panic. The JC 3+ sound is slightly more refined and dynamic, because its component parts and construction are more expensive. More settings as I mentioned above are afforded to an MC cartridge. Phono Pre for both mm and mc phono cartridges. If you’re even considering spending more, still, give the Jr a try. Wilson Audio Specialties Chronosonic XVX Loudspeaker, Subsonic Subwoofer, and ActivXO Crossover, Schiit Audio Modius DAC and Magnius Preamplifier/Headphone Amplifier, Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2019 : Loudspeaker, Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2019 : Digital Electronics, An Interview with John Bring of Cable Support Plate, The Absolute Sound’s High-End Audio Hall of Fame | 2020 Inductees, Lauren Daigle’s Grammy Award Winning Album “Look Up Child” to be released December 11 in 45RPM LP Format, The Absolute Sound’s Buyer’s Guide to Electronics 2017, The Absolute Sound’s Top Picks in High-End Audio and Music 2017, The Absolute Sound’s Buyer's Guide to Affordable High-End Audio 2017, Hank Williams: Pictures from Life’s Other Side. Original or new and improved? As the melody ascended there was also the slightest reduction of the upper-frequency glare that would sometimes slip into the picture with the JC 3. Begin typing your search above and press return to search. In and around 2013, Parasound made some adjustments to the JC 3 with the JC 3+, adding MC … The JC 3+ created a soundstage that simply flowed more smoothly from corner to corner. Although John Curl is also touted for his Parasound amplifiers, his efforts with the original Halo JC 3 phono preamplifier were extraordinarily well-received and reviewed. - Michael Fremer . Yet the timbre for the piano was excellent. 46 dB / 56 dB / 66 dB (balanced output), Net: 13 lbs. For those with stable analog rigs who assiduously avoid the cartridge-of-the-week hunt—the obvious choice is to stick to the Parasound original. There was shielding here and isolation there while large power-supply filter capacitors were added to reduce strain on the amplifier. Piero Gabucci, a native of Alberta, Canada, is an architect living in northern New Jersey with his wife and two sons. Finally the new R-core power transformer is 82% larger to provide better bass performance. Moving-magnet gain has been increased slightly from 47dB to 48dB, but mc gain has actually been reduced from 68dB to 64dB so that very-high-output mc cartridges won’t cause the JC 3+ to overload the inputs of some linestage preamps. Vol.12 – December 2020, “The Future of Audio Shows” Cartoon by Carlo Lo Raso, Setting Up a Bryston BDA-3.14 Streaming DAC and Qobuz Streaming Service – A How-to Series, Part 2, Setting Up an AURALiC ARIES G1 Streamer and Qobuz Streaming Service – A How-to Series, Part 1, DCI-P3 Color – What It Means in Today’s Ultra HD World, AVR-Audio Video Reciever-Build Quality: Part V. Does Your Projector Display Accurate Color, and Why Is That Important? Evidently the market did indeed pipe up. How Much Amplifier Power Does your Home Theater Need? In and around 2013, Parasound made some adjustments to the JC 3 with the JC 3+, adding MC cartridge, adjusting the circuit boards and power supply. I’m particularly fond of the tracks “Satin Doll” and “Fly Me To The Moon” with their sparkling and colorful clarinet and trumpet solos. iFi audio Launches Groundbreaking xDSD DAC/Amplifier, Schiit Audio Freya+ Preamplifier and Vidar Amplifier Review, PS Audio Stellar GainCell Preamp/DAC Review, Audio-gd Vacuum HE1 XLR Tube Preamplifier Review, Black Ice Fusion F11 Vacuum Tube Integrated Amplifier PREVIEW, JBL Synthesis Expands Award-winning SCL Loudspeaker Range With Four New Advanced Architectural Models, JBL Synthesis Caps Major Product Expansion by Introducing Flagship SCL-1 Loudspeaker and SSW-1 Subwoofer, Still Blown Away After All These Years: JBL Launches 75, The MediaLight Flex Mk2 6500K LED Bias Lighting System, G.E.M. Having known the legendary John Curl's work since he did the JC2 Preamplifier for Levinson in 1972, a ground-breaking design for solid-state, and every bit as competitive as the tubed ARC SP-3a-1 of the era, I fearlessly replaced my current mega phono gear, both tube and solid-state, with the Parasound Halo JC 3 Jr. Phono Preamplifier, costing just $1495! Input impedance: Moving magnet, 47k ohms; moving coil, 47k ohms fixed, 50–550 ohms, variableGain: Moving magnet, 48dB; moving coil, 64dBDimensions: 17.25″ x 4.12″ x 13.75″Weight: 19 lbs.Price: $2995, PARASOUND PRODUCTS, INC 2250 McKinnon Avenue San Francisco, CA 94124 (415) 397-7100parasound.com, As a long-time user of various Shunyata Research AC power […], With the increasingly widespread streaming of digital music content to […], What does it really mean to say that a luxury […], Rogue Audio needs little introduction in TAS. What’s my point? I stated at the time that this full-chassis, dual-mono design featured “a near obsessive attention to isolation,” to the extent that each channel was housed in its own extruded aluminum enclosure within the chassis, and further isolated from the power supply with 3/8″-thick, low-carbon mild-steel partitions. Does 100 ohm mc, 47k ohm mc, & 47k ohm mm, loading is changed by switches on back of unit. Writing for Secrets the last several years, Piero believes that a reviewer's duty is to inform and involve the reader into his audio experience rather than preach absolutes. $220.15. I had no expectations, owning several Halo pieces including both amplifiers and preamplifiers, I immediately found that the JC 3 Jr sounded solidly neutral, in control. Any fear I had that it would sound sterile, or clinical was out the window, evident playing women’s voices, especially. As a result the JC 3 was built with limited, switched-input load-impedance choices. 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