Yet the timbre for the piano was excellent. Evidently the market did indeed pipe up. You'll have to examine very closely to find any signs of wear. In a short interview accompanying my original JC 3 review Curl’s remarks turned out to be prescient: “Actually I think I underestimated the market. Lots … Does 100 ohm mc, 47k ohm mc, & 47k ohm mm, loading is changed by switches on back of unit. The design goals were ultra-high performance and low noise, in the spirit of Curl’s legendary Vendetta phono … 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? The JC 3+ sound is slightly more refined and dynamic, because its component parts and construction are more expensive. Parasound's new $2995 JC3+ is a significantly upgraded version of the already high performance original JC3 phono preamplifier, though outwardly it … Sure, there are preamplifiers costing just several hundred dollars but not with these features and this pedigree. 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. Finally the new R-core power transformer is 82% larger to provide better bass performance. FOR SALE: Parasound Halo JC2 Preamplifier Class A Pre-Amp - SIlver - Near Excellent! Not much to look at frankly, the SCP-2 was coveted for its low noise floor – the essence of a phono preamplifier. >84dB, input shorted unweighted, > 94dB, input shorted, IHF A-weighted About Parasound: Founded in 1981, Parasound Products, Inc., is a privately owned U.S. company that specializes in providing affordable audio components to … With the sterling reputation of its bigger brother, the JC 3+, this little guy has a lot to prove as issue of the genius mind of Curl. Backgrounds are still eerily quiet, instrumental colors ripe, and channel separation exquisite. Before joining Parasound to work with founder Richard Schram, John Curl became legendary for his Vendetta Research SCP-2 phono preamplifier. What’s my point? “As with the JC 1 and 2, the construction quality of the Halo JC 3 is first-rate.” The Halo JC 2 Costing a not-unreasonable $4000, the Halo JC 2 is manufactured, like the JC 1, in Taiwan. 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. Secrets crowned his revised Halo Preamp, the Halo JC 3+ Phono Preamplifier with a Best Of award. As readers will recall, the original JC 3 clinched a Golden Ear Award not long after I reviewed it in Issue 215. Truthfully the JC 3 Jr. is not a 3+. It looked good, sounded even better! (8.6 kg), Parasound, Parasound Product, Products reviews, Parasound Review 2018. 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. Its ability to take a very wide spread of genres and levels of mastering and deliver them all with a consistent and engaging balance of refinement, spaciousness and overall musicality is a welcome one. Variable MC load adjust independent for each channel from 50-550 ohms with dual gang potentiometers specially made for Parasound by Vishay. But it does articulate. Curl and Thompson tweaked the phono-module boards to further optimize every performance parameter. But it comes uncomfortably close to the original JC 3, the phono pre that would later evolve into the 3+. This is accomplished by replacing the large gain modules used for each channel, with a single board combining the channels. Balanced: < 100 Ω per leg, 40 dB / 50 dB / 60 dB (unbalanced output) But then there are those unrepentant analog junkies prone to swapping exotic cartridges, and seeking resolution’s final word. The original Halo JC 3 was designed by legendary audio designer John Curl, and he also did the honors with the JC 3+. But just so, I would have expected a tiny bit more sparkle at the top architecture is heck... Pre-Amp - Silver - Near Excellent spending more, still, give the Jr a try audio gear knows too. 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