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John Curl-Designed Phono Preamp Delivers Performance Approaching the JC 3+ for Half the PriceParasound'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. In most systems, the difference would be hard to distinguish. The JC 3+ sound is slightly more refined and dynamic, because its component parts and construction are more expensive. "Will Stand the Test of Time"The JC 3 Jr. won an Editors' Choice Award 2019 from The Absolute Sound magazine, which noted, "Junior conveys a warm ambient flavor, openness rather than a constriction within the hall. Wind and string transients are smooth and naturalistic. A phono preamp that will stand the test of time." "The JC 3 Jr. was one feisty chip off the old block," reports Neil Gader in the July/August 2018 issue of The Absolute Sound magazine. "With high levels of the 3+'s character coursing through its circuitry, Jr. established a sonic kinship that imparted a wide soundstage with noiseless, black-velvet backgrounds – a prologue for the level of resolving power I later observed." Gader concludes, "Truthfully the JC 3 Jr. is not a 3+. But it comes uncomfortably close to the original JC 3, the phono pre that would later evolve into the 3+. For the vast majority of vinyl owners, Parasound's JC 3 Jr. will stand the test of time and be a willing partner to cartridge or turntable upgrades that might accrue along the way." That's an amazing statement from Michael Fremer about one of the most exciting preamps that we've carried in a long, long time. According to Parasound's president and founder Richard Schram, "I'd have no hesitation comparing the JC 3 Jr. with the five-digit priced phono preamps from other manufacturers." "Best Under-$2000 Solid-State Phono Stage I Have Ever Heard""The bottom end is solid and well-extended and the preamp’s overall tonal balance is refreshingly neutral and very similar to what I noted with the JC3+," reports Stereophile's Michael Fremer in his review for analogplanet.com. "Overall then, the JC 3 Jr. is not quite as good as the JC3+ but at half the price it comes surprisingly close." "The Parasound Junior is, without a doubt in my mind, the best under-$2000 solid-state phono stage I have ever heard, or even know about," raves Robert H. Levi in Issue 93 of Positive Feedback magazine. "Giving you 2 scoops of a 3 scoop banana split for the cost of a single scoop, you will luxuriate in top-shelf phono pleasure and have some money left over for LPs. I cannot recommend it more emphatically!" Stunningly Close, But Half the PriceWith the success of the John Curl-designed JC 3 and JC 3+ phono preamps, which surpassed Parasound's sales forecasts, Richard told Audio Advisor, "I started to wonder how good a phono stage we could develop with John to capture the essence of the JC 3+ for a lot less money?" According to Richard, "My ambition was to build a John Curl-designed phono stage within reach of more vinyl lovers. Originally, I thought we might have to price it at $1,800 or possibly $2,000 – it's actually that good. But I've priced the JC 3 Jr. to be a real steal at only $1,495, half the price of a JC 3+." Richard's team worked on this project with John and circuit board designer Carl Thompson for nearly two years. "We've nailed it!" said Richard. "Largely due to Parasound manufacturing efficiencies, we were able to bring our price down by half. The price of the JC 3 Jr. is a real testament to the skill and dedication of our entire team, including John and the factory." At half the price of the JC 3+, how does the JC 3 Jr. sound? "There's not a phono preamp anywhere near its price that even comes close," said Richard. "We've created a winner, and I expect we're going to sell a lot of them." What Made It In, and What Got Left Out?One thing Parasound refused to compromise is the amazing sonic character of the JC 3+, which is what everyone raves about. The Jr. preserves this sonic signature, yielding only the nth degree of finesse, pin-point imaging and dynamic range. Circuit topology is closely related, and circuit boards were designed by Carl Thompson, John's circuit board partner dating back to his legendary Vendetta phono stage. Both use premium parts such as REL caps, Vishay-Dale resistors, Neutrik and Vampire connectors, and relays for muting and mono select. What's different is that both channels of the Jr.'s gain and EQ circuits are built on a single board, behind a single shield, rather than on separate boards with individual shielding in the JC 3+. The Jr.'s power supply is shared by both channels rather than dual-mono in the JC 3+. It still employs the same high-speed/soft-recovery bridge diodes and common mode inductor to banish background noise. These changes enabled Parasound to use a new low-profile Halo chassis that is less expensive to build. It's gorgeous and will no doubt show up future products. Is the designer, John Curl, happy with the result? "Happy is an understatement," said Richard. "John appreciates our collaborative design process and he continues to surprise us with ingenious ways to control costs while upholding his demanding standards. We've worked together like this since 1989, creating superior products whose performance and value are unmatched."
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2022 Editors’ Choice Award - The Absolute SoundThe Absolute Sound High-End Audio Buyer's Guide 2020"Junior conveys a warm ambient flavor, openness rather than a constriction within the hall. Wind and string transients are smooth and naturalistic. A phono preamp that will stand the test of time." - The Absolute Sound High-End Audio Buyer's Guide 2020 "John Curl designed the Parasound JC 3 Jr. at a caliber that allows listeners to concentrate on the music. Simply excellent, neutral and transparent, without any background noise. Dynamic, harmonious, completely articulated, and very well balanced." - LP (Germany), February 2020 "...a neat balance between fun and forensic makes for a long-term listening partner." "...judged on its considerable merits it’s a seriously engaging phono preamp that deserves some careful consideration and an audition." - HiFi Choice (UK), August 2019 "I have not singled out the excellent performance of the Parasound JC 3 Jr. Phono Preamplifier." "The Parasound JC 3 Jr. Phono Preamplifier pulls off one of the most difficult jobs in business. It remains silent and unnoticeable. Only when it is absent, do you know how much it was doing for you and your system." - Dwayne Carter, enjoythemusic.com, March 2019 "...Richard Schram, Parasound CEO and Founder, is making you an offer you can almost not refuse." "...makes me want to explore what more is indeed possible, what more can be extracted in the analog process." - David Blumenstein, Dagogo, February 2019 "Excellent meticulous sound and super analytical prowess. 'Value' is well-deserved. Its retail price immediately makes it a 'killer product.' Make sure you include it on your audition list." - HiFi Review (Hong Kong), October 2018 "The JC 3 Jr. was one feisty chip off the old block. With high levels of the 3+'s character coursing through its circuitry, Jr. established a sonic kinship that imparted a wide soundstage with noiseless, black-velvet backgrounds – a prologue for the level of resolving power I later observed." "Truthfully the JC 3 Jr. is not a 3+. But it comes uncomfortably close to the original JC 3, the phono pre that would later evolve into the 3+. For the vast majority of vinyl owners, Parasound's JC 3 Jr. will stand the test of time and be a willing partner to cartridge or turntable upgrades that might accrue along the way." - Neil Gader, The Absolute Sound magazine, July/August 2018 "The JC 3 Jr. can best be described as a Goldilocks phono preamp – just right in about every dimension." "...all of the characteristics we look for in music reproduction come together in a convincing musical picture." - Johan Khoo, audioFi.net (Malaysia), April 25, 2018 "All of [the] features and the build quality are, to say the least, unusual at this price point where 'wal-warts' and dipswitches are far more common. Also unusual are the low noise specifications." "The bottom end is solid and well-extended and the preamp’s overall tonal balance is refreshingly neutral and very similar to what I noted with the JC3+: 'The JC3+’s midrange neutrality and transient cleanliness and its lack of grit, hyper edge definition or on the other side of that divide, softness, challenge the performance of far more expensive preamplifiers.' I’ll stick with that here too as well as with my JC3+ conclusion: "'It does everything well and its minor acts of omission will not be noticed or missed on the kinds of systems in which it’s likely to be used. In real world priced systems it’s likely to max-out vinyl performance and keep you locked in to listening for years to come.' Overall then, the JC 3 Jr. is not quite as good as the JC3+ but at half the price it comes surprisingly close." - Michael Fremer, Analogplanet.com, February 26, 2018 "Put all these aspects together – its insight, control, accurate soundstaging and fine handling of rhythms – and you have a redoubtable performer. " - Nick Tate, Hifi News (UK), February 2018 "The Parasound JC 3 Jr. is an outstanding solid-state phono preamplifier. At its price I am certain there is nothing on the market that can beat it!" - Audiophile (Hong Kong), February 2018 "The Parasound Junior is, without a doubt in my mind, the best under-$2000 solid-state phono stage I have ever heard, or even know about." "It is dead silent. It is mellifluous. It is sophisticated. It is truly high definition. It yields rock solid imaging and great clarity. It is unflappable and other-worldly flexible. It has no pops or static, even switching every knob with gain up. The mono button on front even changes color when engaged. If the Junior is not trickle-down brilliance from JC's previous designs, then this baby is an accidental miracle." "The Parasound JC 3 Jr. Phono Preamplifier, the Junior, is a fantastic boon to audiophiles everywhere who love getting the best out of their LPs, but do not have deep pockets. Giving you 2 scoops of a 3 scoop banana split for the cost of a single scoop, you will luxuriate in top-shelf phono pleasure and have some money left over for LPs. I cannot recommend it more emphatically! If you were going to spend about $1500-$2500 on a solid-state phono stage, I’d say that the Junior is your entire short list. It has my full recommendation." - Robert H. Levi, Positive Feedback magazine, Issue 93 "If you're trying to eek every nuance out of your turntable, the Halo JC 3 Jr is perfect for you. I find the Halo JC 3 Jr outstanding for value and performance." - Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity, April 2018 "Goldilocks phono preamp – just right in about every dimension. All of the characteristics we look for in music reproduction come together in a convincing musical picture. The mono switch on the JC 3 Jr. is a great addition – worth its weight in gold." - audioFi.net (Malaysia), April 2018
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