Product Previews

Parasound Halo JC 3 Jr. Phono Preamplifier Preview

Anyone who is a fan of Parasound Audio gear know all too well the “JC” moniker in their Halo line stands for John Curl, (always referred to as Legendary John Curl).

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Back in 2015 Secrets crowned his first Halo Preamp, the JC 3+ Phono Preamplifier with a Best Of award.

Completely aware of the large market for more affordable turntable phono preamplifiers, the good people at Parasound developed for half the cost, the JC 3 Jr. Once again John Curl designed the circuitry, the new less-beefy Jr. may become legendary on its own – already winning me over with just a few spins in my system. I couldn’t help but place it in my system along with my Halo P5 preamplifier and A21, both mainstays in my reference system for a while now. It looks good!

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Piero Gabucci

As a kid I wasn’t frugal with money, but so glad my brother was. He worked and saved to buy audio gear that I was able to enjoy. I was hooked on hifi. When I graduated from college, I rewarded myself with a pair of KEF speakers and a Denon Turntable and amplifier. They were my prized possessions. Today as an architect, my passion for music and film match my joy for architecture - art is art. Involved with Secrets for many years now, I’m able to enjoy some great gear and I do love it all, analog (vinyl and tubes) and digital (high-res and solid state). My approach to reviewing is with an openness and unbiased enthusiasm as I do think the art of high fidelity is subjective. Whether you believe the goal of hifi equipment is to capture the quality of a live performance or to faithfully reproduce the artist’s studio recording isn’t relevant, it’s the pure enjoyment at all levels that matter.