Parasound Preamp

Parasound P6 uses op amp and a small switching power supply. Not to say the Zpre is any better as it also uses switching power supply. It’s not even close to the Halo JC2, which uses huge linear power supply and fully discrete FET analog stages.

The old P3 is the last "good" budget level Parasound preamp. The P7 is also good, but it’s a 7 channel analog preamp. Both would be used, but P7 is likely not going to be as old as P3.

I had  Parasound P5 and found it to be very clean sounding, but it did not sound involving at all.  I sold it. Fast forward a few years and I bought a Parasound Halo Integrated amp and it was the same sound..  It sounded clean but very uninvolving.  I sold the Parasound and bought a Mac integrated. Now your talking. 

The Parasound Halo integrated uses the exact same power supply and preamp stage as the P5/P6, lol.  In fact, the P5/P6 case is 2/3 empty to make space for the "amp" part of the integrated.

I guess that is why I didn’t like either one. 

I had one in my old system. Liked it.