New Parasound Halo JC1+ monoblocks just released!!!

I wonder if echohifi will be carrying these. Would be interested in bringing my modded JC1s for comparison with JC1+. I always found non-modded JC1s to be a bit dark with rolled off upper end. It is like listening to speakers with speaker grilles vs without when you compare non-modded JC1 to Empirical Audio modded JC1. I am not sure why Parasound advertise 25W of class A. Reading the Stereophile review the stock bias settings were significantly lower than recommended by John or Tony at Parasound. I don't push the recommended range on my set and I am in 55W and 58W of class A bias on my samples (assuming 8Ohm load). They do run hot though and in hot summer days that can be a problem (nice to have low bias mode when you need it). Last time I checked the bias settings I forgot to measure them in low bias mode, but they are probably half of power of high bias mode which is enough for many. I would be curious seeing how they measure. If I had a sample available I would have measured them on Audio Precision myself.

Hello All,
I have great appreciation for Parasound/John C amplifiers. I am sure that the new JC1+ would be an outstanding amplifier. However none of the John C amplifiers are balanced design unlike Pass Labs and many other more expensive brands. How much of this balanced design with common noise reduction functionality leads to sonic benefit? Would that be a key criteria when you are evaluating a solid state amplifier?

How much of this balanced design with common noise reduction functionality leads to sonic benefit?

Not much as I’ve found, only the noise "can" be a touch lower if the interconnects are unshielded or 10mts or more long.

In fact many pieces of equipment’s with balanced inputs and outputs are fake and sound worse, being just balanced opamps in front of or after the main single ended amplification circuitry.

And then 99% of amps are SE output anyway to the speakers the black "negative" speaker terminal is at earth potential so not being balanced output.

The new JC1+ monoblocks have got balanced inputs.
https://www.stereophile.com/content/parasound-halo-jc-1-monoblock-power-amplifier-0

Cheers George

GeorgieBOY

Shills get paid. I never got a penny off, nor any incentive$ to push Rics wonderful class D amp

Can I expect an apology too?

Hello Georgehifi- Thanks for your response. JC1+ indeed supports balanced inputs like the old JC1 but the circuit inside is not balanced which is where you get the most benefit out of a pure balanced design. Just having a balance input with a single ended circuit inside, at least in theory, doesn't have much benefit. More on this balanced design, people argue that if you are having a fully balanced upstream component like a Bricasti DAC or any other such products it sound the best when you connect it to a downstream component[s] like pre-amplifier and/or directly to a power amplifier which is also fully balanced. Does anyone have any comment on this design?