JC3+

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“John Curl’s preamplifier achievements are legendary. The JC 3+ phono preamplifier expresses the character, verve and impact of all music genres with an insightful ‘deep look’ into the grooves of records. The JC 3+ is extremely satisfying and an outstanding value.”

Designed by John Curl – creator of the legendary Vendetta Research phono preamp
Inputs and outputs use Vampire brand 24k gold-plated RCA jacks
Balanced outputs use Neutrik brand premium XLR jacks
MM 47k ohm, MC 47k ohm or MC variable 50-550 Ohms
RIAA accurate within 0.2 dB
Exclusively Vishay-Dale resistors in the audio path
Triple shielding; low-carbon mild steel partitions isolate the power supplies & AC wires
Dual mono design; each audio channel is separately enclosed in its own extruded aluminum enclosure
Separate high speed-soft recovery rectifiers, filter caps and voltage regulators for each channel
Mono switch can improve sound of mono and older LPs
Built-in AC line conditioner to prevent AC noise from polluting the circuits
AC polarity reverse switch can reduce hum in many systems
Non-magnetic aluminum rear panel for purest sound
Turn On Options switch: manual or auto with 12v trigger input
Premium detachable heavy gauge IEC AC cord
2u Chassis, rack mountable with HRA2 (sold separately)

How the JC 3+ improves on the original JC 3:

Variable MC load adjust independent for each channel from 50-550 ohms with dual gang potentiometers specially made for Parasound by Vishay.
Curl-Thompson tweaked circuits to further reduce the JC 3 silent background noise.
24k gold plated copper traces on phono module boards for utmost conductivity and most transparency/detail in the music.
47% larger low ESR power supply filter caps greater reserve for head-snapping dynamics.
Ability to turn off illumination of the front panel P logo.

Frequency Response
20 Hz – 20 kHz, +/- 0.2 dB

Total Harmonic Distortion
< 0.01% at 1 kHz

Signal to Noise Ratio, MM
> 87 dB, input shorted, IHF A-weighted
> 78 dB, input shorted, unweighted

Signal to Noise Ratio, MC
> 87 dB, input shorted, IHF A-weighted
> 67 dB, input shorted, unweighted

Interchannel Crosstalk
72 dB at 1 kHz

Input Impedance
MM: 47k Ω
MC: 50 – 550 Ω variable, 47k Ω fixed

Output Impedance
Unbalanced: < 100 Ω
Balanced: < 100 Ω per leg

Input Capacitance
150 pF

Input Sensitivity at 1 kHz
MM: 4mV for 1 V output
MC: 600µV for 1 V output

Total Gain
MM: 48 dB
MC: 64 dB

XLR Pin Identification
1 = Ground (Shield)
2 = Positive
3 = Negative (Return)

AC Power Requirement
Standby: 1 watt
Power On: 12 watts
115 or 230 VAC 50 – 60 Hz
(Selected on Chassis Bottom)

Dimensions
Width: 17-1/4″ (437mm)
Depth: 13-3/4″ (350mm)
Height, with feet: 4-1/8″ (105mm)
Height, without feet: 3-1/2″ (89mm)

Weight
Net: 19 lbs. (8.6 Kg)
Shipping: 26 lbs. (11.8 Kg)

Rack Mount Accessory
HRA 2 (may be purchased separately)

The Absolute Sound May 2022
Editors’ Choice: Phonostages $2000-$6000

“Thoroughly upgraded, the JC 3+ not only adds loading adjustments to the (now-discontinued) JC 3 but improvements to signal-to-noise, tweaks to the mm/mc gain stages, a beefier power supply, and a larger power transformer. With every rotation from an LP collection the JC 3+ conveys a heady mix of profound silence and kick-butt energy, a kiss of romance through the mids, and an ability to extract low-level information and define it in acoustic space.”

Input Audio April 2022
“John Curl’s preamplifier achievements are legendary. The JC 3+ phono preamplifier expresses the character, verve and impact of all music genres with an insightful ‘deep look’ into the grooves of records. The JC 3+ is extremely satisfying and an outstanding value.”

Audiotechnique (Hong Kong), March 2020
“Parasound’s JC 3+ Phono Amplifier is a masterpiece and its creators John Curl and Carl Thompson spared no expense to achieve sound quality and performance that is impeccable.”
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The Absolute Sound September 2018
“Time has not dampened its sonic bona fides one iota. Its ability to see into a symphony orchestra and define each section is uncanny. Backgrounds remain eerily quiet, instrumental timbres ripe as plums, and channel separation exquisite.”

AVTech Awards for 2015/16 (UK)
“Best Phono Stage.”

Stereo Times, March 2016
“The Parasound seems to infuse instruments with air and musical life. Soundstage depth cues seemed almost tube-like in their dimensionality, and instrumental and vocal layering often left me wide- eyed and slack-jawed. High-end sound reproduction doesn’t get much better than this. Thoroughly and very highly recommended!”

Hi-Fi World (UK) March 2016
“Outstanding-amongst the best. The soundstage was tight and honed, delivery was crisp, precise and accurate… forceful and exciting. Vocals were nothing less than haunting, while the low noise design offered a clean and open presentation.” Five Globes.