"Parasound has chosen to take a staple core product that has remained an exceptional value for over fifteen years, the Halo A21 amplifier, and re-spin it into the Halo A21+," reports Michael Zisserson at positive-feedback.com. Its replacement, the Halo A 21+, is priced a little higher at $2,995. Curl also took a hard look at the A 21's circuit design and made several modifications, all aimed at improving performance and increasing sound quality. As a previous long-time owner of the original A 21, I feel confident in saying the A 21+ does in fact sound similar. Additionally, Parasound's A21 just won a… Sonically it is so neutral it effortlessly presents what is there. Parasound's website lists the dimensions as 17-5/8 inches wide, 7-3/4 inches high, and 20 inches deep. The A 21 amplifier is loaded with usable … Gratis verzending. As always this is a double edged sword. Additional Resources• Visit the Parsound website for additional information.• Parasound Halo P 5 2.1-Channel Preamplifier Reviewed at HomeTheaterReview.com.• Parasound Announces HINT 6 Integrated Amplifier at HomeTheaterReview.com. In the End. In practice, this means the amp is biased to output a little over six watts per channel of pure Class A power. As good as the A 1 series is, for those who want something better Parasound has … You'll automatically be entered in the HTR Sweepstakes, and get the hottest audio deals directly in your inbox. For the scope of this review and equanimity I will not be playing with the gain, it will be set to max and forgotten about. Like its predecessor, the A 21+ still punches well above its price point in overall performance and is still an amplifier that does most things right. The former tried and true, untouchable value and staple of their product line, the A21, had set the bar for value vs. performance in both the HiFi and Professional audio worlds. Both balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA inputs are available, with each channel still featuring its own independent gain control and RCA signal loop outputs. The move to improve it was risky, since it is usually difficult to de-throne a king without a total re-design of the kingdom. It was such a game changer in my system that I bought four more Emo amps to replace the rest of my more recognizable brand name pieces Emotiva XPA-DR1 X 3 The A21+ represents a new unparalleled value in amplifier performance. The Halo A21+ (moving forward just the A21+) is dense. Both are excellent amplifiers in their own right. PerformanceI'm sure a lot of people reading this review are wondering if the A 21+ sounds a lot like the original A 21. All material within this site is copyrighted and can not be reprinted or used in any form without our express written permission. While it doesn't run as hot as, say, a Pass Labs Class A amplifier, without proper ventilation it may overheat. The Halo A21+, is a keeper. In fact, these are the same speaker terminals found on the company's more expensive JC 5 amplifier, though only a single pair of terminals is included per channel, so those looking to bi-wire their speakers will need to consider a different amp. These thoughts are perfectly appropriate when nothing but a plus sign has been added to the model name. While this may not seem like much, whether having a relaxing Jazz listening session, or living through a dynamic orchestra piece that drops to a violin solo in pianissimo, I believe this class A power is largely responsible for the extremely black background and inner resolving power of the A21+. For me, this glint is a far more significant representation that there was more to the re-spin than raw power. Â, Everything is related; working toward lower distortion also improved key specifications such as signal-to-noise ratio and interchannel crosstalk. "U Can't Hold No Groove…," and "Overjoyed" were exceptional in all aspects which allowed Victor's message to come through his 4-string and into every little hair on the back of my neck. While six watts may not seem like much, that's enough power to drive all but the most inefficient speakers to reasonably high SPLs for the majority of music or movies you'll likely listen to. Review: James Parker, Lab: Paul Miller | Dec 1, 2018 Parasound's Halo JC5 conforms to some of these stereotypes, but there's more to it than just slam There's nothing terribly unusual about a big, hefty US-made power amp: after all, it's almost an archetype of what we think the US high-end is … Nonetheless, it is still very much a Curl design, with his customary J-FET input stage, MOSFET driver stage, and beta Follow Up: Zesto Audio BIA 120 Class A Amplifier, Burson Conductor Virtuoso and Timekeeper Virtuoso, The Parasound Halo Integrated Amplifier - Raising the Bar for Price/Performance. The LED notification lights cannot be dimmed or turned off when the amp is operating. Parasound states that it is not advised to use both the balanced and unbalanced inputs at the same time, which is cumbersome in my system. Parasound Halo A21 $2495 An excellent Class AB stereo transistor amp, designed by the redoubtable John Curl, capable of 250Wpc into 8 ohms (400 into 4 ohms). Instead of re-inventing this wheel, Parasound chose to refine it. While the upgrades do come with a slightly higher asking price, I found, in practice, these changes make a meaningful enough difference to justify the new cost. I connected the Halo A 23+’s 12V trigger using the mono interconnect included with Parasound’s NewClassic 200 Pre preamplifier, also in for review, and set the A 23+ to turn itself on when the 200 Pre sent a trigger signal. Unboxing and setting up the A 21+ may prove to be a difficult task for some. Jaton CD1000B, Rega P1 Turntable and Carbon cartridge and a Windows PC. Class A operation often imparts a particularly sweet, smooth, and organic sound signature, and the A 21+ definitely qualifies for these sonic traits, with treble frequencies in particular rendered smoothly and grain-free. I haven't done the same review (Outlaw 100-watter vs the A51's 250) on my new speakers, but I'm happy to report that I love my new speakers (Focal BE 1027) and they have wowed everyone who has heard them. Small, but quintessential details like soundstage depth, focus, and texture seem to have received a significant boost. I received the A21+ in the silver finish which masks the gold accents a bit on the front panel but makes the unit no less handsome. The Bricasti M1 DAC/Network Player runs directly to the amp via balanced connections, whereas the Rega P1 Turntable runs through a Sunfire Reference Signature preamp and into the unbalanced connections. Parasound has nothing to hide here as these are real numbers supported by A21+'s capability of delivering 60 amperes of current per channel, the ability to deliver this power through the amplifier's full band-width, and a low <0.1% Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) when driving the full audio band (20Hz - 20kHz) at rated power. "Classical Thump" blew me away thanks to the A21+'s control and accurate timbre. Anyone in the market for a stereo power amp would be well advised to consider the Parasound A 21+, especially those who believe that they must spend more." Wielding 71 pounds is certainly an achievable task however maneuvering it with attention to the heat-sinks, rear panel, front panel, and the realization that gravity is doing all it can to assure you a crushed foot becomes daunting. In a sense, you're getting an A 21, but with more of everything. There are knobs for gain, and small switches that allow selection of balanced/unbalanced inputs and bridged/stereo operation. As a kid reading those Audio Advisor catalogs, you idolize them a bit and hope to have their gear one day. The amp's size, weight, and heat output could pose potential installation problems, especially for those looking to place it in a cabinet or enclosure. This played out time and time again from the talented Jazz drum solo by Brian Blaze in the Jousha Redman Quartet's "Slapstick" on Spirit of the Moment-Live at the Village Vanguard, to the all-out intensity Dubstep is well known for in "Centepede" off the album Rage Valley from Knife Party. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. Review after review, award after award seems to naturally follow a company who has put value without compromise first as defined by the very products they make. Refinement is where the A21+ puts real distance from the A21. The A21+ boasts 300 watts per channel into an 8 ohm load, 500 watts per channel into a 4 ohm load, and a monstrous 1000 watts per channel into an 8 ohm load when both channels bridged mono. The A21 out of the box controlled the Rens top to bottom bringing out tight bass and crystalline highs that I never heard before with the Adcom. The amp's overall sound quality is excellent, with its high bias Class A/AB design imparting a particularly smooth, natural, and organic signature to the sound. Selected the A21+ based on Kal’s review of the F228Be’s. Home Theater Review Feb 2020 "With its high-quality chassis, thoughtful circuit design, and excellent sound quality, the A 21+ offers an impressive value proposition. The A21+ truly shined when paired with full-range, tonally neutral loudspeakers pushed by a quiet and dynamically capable front-end. In this video, Joe Finn, the regional sales and marketing manager for Parasound, gives in-depth information on the Parasound A21+. If your amplifier budget dictates $2000 USD on an amplifier, save a little longer and buy the A21+. It does soo many things excellently sound wise and for a very reasonable price.