Specification Sheet

Power amplifiers must eliminate input stage distortion in
order to avoid output stage distortion which is especially
irritating to a listener. In typical power amplifiers the
input and output stages share the same power supply.
When driven hard their output stages’ voltage will sag,
dragging down the input stage voltage that’s critical for
preventing these distortions. A signature feature of the
JC 5 (and JC 1) is a separate independent input stage
power supply for each channel that is always 10 volts
higher than the output stage voltage. Maintaining input
stage voltage prevents distortion even under the most
demanding conditions.
John Curl has been designing for Parasound since
1989. He was already a legend in the '70s for designing
and building mixing consoles for The Grateful Dead
and Jefferson Airplane. He designed the iconic Mark
Levinson JC-2, Vendetta and Constellation phono
stages and mic preamps and master recorders for
Wilson Audio and Mobile Fidelity. Curl’s inspired
designs have earned Parasound world-wide acclaim
and our stunning new JC 5 is certain to build on this
storied heritage.
High current is essential for uncompromised sound.
The JC 5 output (current) stage uses 24 Sanken 15A
output transistors, carefully hand-matched for maximum
performance. Their 60MHz bandwidth eliminates slew-
rate distortion that robs music of its nuances. They
operate in pure Class A up to 12 watts per channel,
eliminating distortion that blurs music at lower listening
levels. Eliminating noise at the input stage is also
critical. The JC 5 uses rare Toshiba 2SJ74 J-FETs
which are highly coveted for their ultra-low noise.
Every part within the JC 5 is carefully chosen for its
accuracy, sound quality and long life. Its speaker
terminals are new, developed in collaboration with CHK.
Their ample size and wide spacing accommodates even
the largest gauge speaker wire or spade connectors.
High quality 24 K gold-plating on the speaker terminals,
input connectors and internal audio signal connections
assure sound quality that won’t be compromised by
corrosion.