Parasound, of San Francisco, CA, has announced the release of the Halo P 5 preamplifier, which is a 2.1-channel design with analog bass management and comes standard with the following features: DAC, MM/MC phono stage, balanced inputs and outputs, and home-theater bypass. Richard Schram, Parasound’s founder and president, had this to say in the company’s August 28 press release: “New technologies have changed the ways audiophiles connect to and enjoy their music. So, the addition of a high-quality DAC was an obvious choice for the P 5. There has also been a resurgence in turntables, so we upgraded the MM-only phono stage to also handle moving-coil cartridges with a choice of load impedances. While the P 3 has outstanding two-channel sound, many audiophiles today have 2.1-channel stereo speaker systems with robust subwoofers. The P 5 actually creates a sub channel output for the 2.1 listening. The P 5 also makes it easy to integrate audiophile stereo speakers with a home-theater surround system. The addition of a balanced XLR subwoofer output and variable low-frequency and high-frequency crossovers makes the Halo P 5 uniquely capable in these configurations.”
The P 5’s coaxial and optical digital inputs accept sampling rates up to 192kHz, while its USB input accepts up to 96kHz. The MM phono input is said to be compatible with all moving-magnet and most moving-coil cartridges, and has a 100-ohm/47k-ohm switch for impedance matching. The Halo P 5, which is available in black or silver, is priced at only $950 USD and will be available in September.
