Parasound Halo A 52+ Five Channel Amplifier - Black

Parasound Rebuilt Its Five-Channel Amplifier Around Three Rack Spaces

The Halo A 52+ gives each of five channels 180 watts into 8 ohms with every channel driven, and 255 watts into 4 ohms. It does that from a chassis three rack spaces tall that weighs 55 pounds.

Ask only two channels to work and the figures climb. Two channels make 225 watts each into 8 ohms, or 350 watts each into 4 ohms. So an evening of stereo listening draws on more power than the five-channel rating suggests.

Five Inputs, Twice Over

Every channel has a balanced XLR jack and an unbalanced RCA jack, so the amplifier suits a short hop from a receiver or a long balanced run from a rack. Speaker connections are 24k gold-plated five-way binding posts.

Where the 0.05 Percent Comes From

A custom 1.5 kVA toroidal transformer feeds a separate secondary winding for every channel, with 100,000µF of filter capacitance behind it. Peak current capacity is 45 amperes per channel and total gain is 29 dB.

Parasound measures its power figures at 0.05 percent distortion, continuous, across the full audio band with 120 volts at the wall. Stating the conditions alongside the number is rarer than it should be.

The Rest of the Measurements

Total harmonic distortion stays under 0.05 percent at full power and under 0.03 percent at normal levels. Intermodulation distortion is under 0.04 percent. Signal-to-noise ratio beats 112 dB A-weighted, channel separation beats 78 dB at 1 kHz, and damping factor beats 1100 at 20 Hz.

Frequency response runs from 5 Hz to 100 kHz within 3 dB. The amplifier draws 1 watt in standby, 125 watts at idle, and 1500 watts at maximum. High bias means it runs warm even in silence, so leave four inches clear above it.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Al Griffin in Sound & Vision, April 12, 2018: "Parasound’s new five-channel amplifier is a versatile performer, delivering clean power with ample headroom for both movies and music."

Who Is This Five-Channel Amplifier Best For?

• You run a 5.1 system — all five channels get the same 180 watts at the same time, so the surrounds keep pace with the center instead of thinning out when a scene fills the room
• You listen to music as much as you watch films — with two channels working the same amplifier makes 225 watts each into 8 ohms, so stereo nights are not limited by a five-channel number
• Your rack is short on height — three rack spaces and 55 pounds make this far easier to place and lift than the four-space amplifiers it sits beside
• You want the amplifier to follow the system — manual, 12V trigger and audio sensing with an adjustable threshold are all built in, and the trigger wire is in the box
• You are mounting it in a rack — the chassis is designed for it at three spaces tall, but the hardware is not in the carton; add the Parasound HRA-3 Halo Rack Adapter and it bolts into any standard 19 inch rack

How Does It Connect to Your System?

Run five preamp outputs from your processor or receiver into the amplifier, choosing the XLR or the RCA jacks on each channel. Then run speaker cable to the binding posts. Give the top four inches of clear air and keep it out of a sealed cabinet.

A rear switch picks how it wakes: manual, 12V trigger, or audio sensing. The supplied trigger wire has a mono 3.5 mm plug at each end. If you use audio sensing, expect to spend a minute on the threshold knob to find a setting that catches your listening level reliably.

Pairs Well With

A power amplifier needs a few things around it. These are the categories most A 52+ owners shop next.

• Home theater receivers — the preamp outputs that feed all five channels
• Interconnect cables — five balanced XLR or unbalanced RCA runs from the processor
• Speaker cables — heavier wire for five sets of binding posts
• Power conditioners — a clean feed for an amplifier rated at 1500 watts

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a receiver or processor with this amplifier?

Yes. The A 52+ supplies power and nothing else. Feed it from the preamp outputs of an AV receiver or a surround processor.

How much power does it make with all five channels driven?

180 watts per channel into 8 ohms, and 255 watts per channel into 4 ohms. Parasound measures both continuously across the full audio band.

Does it make more power with fewer channels working?

It does. With two channels driven each makes 225 watts into 8 ohms, or 350 watts into 4 ohms.

What if my speakers ask for more current than this?

Step up to the Parasound Halo A 51. It carries a 2.2 kVA transformer, 250 watts per channel and 60 amperes of peak current per channel.

What comes in the box?

An AC power cord and a 12V trigger wire with a mono 3.5 mm plug at each end.

Why has the front power button stopped working?

Check the Turn On Options switch. Setting it to Audio or 12V hands control to the trigger or the incoming signal, and that disables the front button by design.

See It in Action

Techno Dad unboxes the A 52+ and sets it up:

That Home Theater Dude puts the A 52+ alongside the dearer A 51:

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