JC 1+ Mono Power Amplifier OWNER’S GUIDE
Important Safety Instructions The lightning flash with the arrowhead symbol within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of “dangerous voltage” inside the product that may constitute a risk of electric shock. The exclamation point within an equilateral triangle is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance instructions in the literature accompanying the product. TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT REMOVE COVER.
Table of Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Placement & Ventilation Guidelines AC Mains Voltage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Front Panel Illustration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
INTRODUCTION Thank You for Choosing Parasound Your new Parasound Halo JC 1+ power amplifier has been designed with the most advanced, proven class A/AB amplifier technology. The JC 1+ is built to extremely strict quality and performance standards for which Parasound is renowned. We’re proud to offer you this exceptional audio component that will bring you many years of enjoyment and dependability.
Unpacking Your JC 1+ & Placement Guidelines Unpacking Your JC 1+ Carefully remove your JC 1+ from its shipping carton and locate the enclosed accessories: • AC power cord • A 12V trigger wire for auto turn on (It has a mono 3.5 mm plug at each end) • Rack mount ears While you are unpacking your JC 1+, inspect it thoroughly for possible shipping damage and tell your Parasound dealer immediately if you find any evidence of shipping damage.
Rack Mounting Your Parasound JC 1+ To mount the JC 1+ into a 19" wide equipment rack, you must first attach its two “L” shaped rack mount brackets (included). With its four feet removed, the JC 1+ chassis and front panel height occupies four rack spaces (7" or 178 mm). You will also need to allow an additional 1 8" (3.2mm) or more below the JC 1+ to allow for its bottom chassis screws when mounting other components below the JC 1+.
Rear Panel Controls & Audio Connections Always disconnect the AC cord to your JC 1+ before making or changing any input, output or trigger wire connections. Inserting or removing an input or output cable while the JC 1+ is turned on can result in a blast of sound that can damage your loudspeakers. Make sure there is no strain or tension on any cables that could cause them to pull loose. Bias Level Switch The Bias Level switch offers two bias settings for the output transistors.
Audio Input & Output Connections Balanced XLR Input Jacks In most systems balanced XLR connections will give you the best quality sound because of their ability to reject noise. Refer to the Balanced and Unbalanced Lines in the Technically Speaking section for additional information and why we recommend using balanced lines. Note: Using balanced XLR input connectors results in a 6 dB higher volume level compared with using the RCA input jacks. This is a noticeable level increase.
Speaker Connections Speaker Terminals The JC1 + has two speaker outputs labeled Speaker Output 1 and Speaker Output 2. The second speaker output is used for a bi-wiring setup (see page 12). The speaker terminals accept wires terminated with banana plugs, spade connectors up to 16mm wide or bare wire up to 8 AWG. Bare Speaker Wire Ends If you plan to connect your speaker cables with bare wire ends, use a wire stripper to remove just enough insulation to expose about a 1 2" (13 mm) length of bare wire.
Bi-Wiring and Bi-Amping Bi-wiring and Bi-amping can only be used with speakers that have separate input terminals for HF (high frequency) and LF (low frequency). The straps that connect the speaker’s LF and HF inputs will need to be removed. Some KEF speakers use a rotary switch instead of metal straps to disconnect the HF and LF sections internally. Bi-wiring requires one JC 1+ for each speaker. Bi-amping requires two JC 1+ for each speaker.
Turn On Options Switch The setting of the rear panel three position Turn On Options switch determines how the JC 1+ turns on and off. Setting this switch to Audio or 12 V disables the JC 1+’s front panel On-Off button. There are three turn on options: Manual: When the Turn On Options switch is set to Manual the JC 1+ is turned on and off manually only by pressing the On-Off button on its front panel every time you want to listen to music.
12 V Loop Out Jack The Trigger Out jack lets you loop or “daisy-chain” the incoming trigger voltage to an additional JC 1+ or other component(s). The total load on your triggering device’s 12 V output is the sum of the trigger current drawn by each of the components you plan to loop together. Check the maximum capacity of your preamplifier’s trigger output so you do not overload it by connecting too many power amplifiers. Typical preamp trigger outputs are rated to handle 50 mA to 100 mA. 3.5 mm and 2.
Technically Speaking Balanced and Unbalanced Interconnects Recording and broadcast studios use balanced connections exclusively because of their inherent ability to reject noise and hum, thus assuring the best sound. Certain high-quality preamplifiers and surround controllers built for residential use utilize balanced connections with XLR jacks for the same reasons.
Parasound JC 1+ Design Overview Circuits Designed by John Curl Parasound design consultant John Curl has been a legend among audiophiles and electronic engineers for decades.
The JC 1+ Output Stage The JC 1+ output stage includes six ultra-premium quality 33,000uF Nichicon “Gold Tune” electrolytic filter capacitors., These rare parts are chosen for their low Equivalent Series Resistance (ESR), dielectric absorption and resistance to high temperature.
Class A-A/B Operation Pure class A operation provides the purest sound. However, an amplifier with the output power of the JC 1+ and operating entirely in class A would be enormous, highly inefficient, and generate far too much heat. Class A/B combines the primary advantage of Class A with the higher efficiency of Class B. This reduces the heat generated in pure class A operation as well as the higher-order odd harmonic distortions created in class B.
Problems and Remedies Unit will not turn on • Check the setting of the Turn On Options switch. (The front panel On-Off button will be disabled if this switch is set to Audio or 12 V) • If using the Audio Turn On mode, try increasing the sensitivity of the audio trigger by turning the audio threshold knob to the “Quieter” position. • Check that the rear panel power switch is on and that the AC power is live.
Are You Having Difficulty? Repair or Service Call your Parasound dealer first. If the dealer can’t help you with your problem we encourage you to call Parasound’s Technical Service Department at 415-397-7100, Monday - Friday, 8am - 4pm Pacific Time. We can suggest other diagnostic tests you can easily perform.
Chassis Illustration and Dimensions 21
Specifications Power Output Total Gain 450 watts @ 8 Ω 850 watts @ 4 Ω 1300 watts @ 2 Ω 29 dB (Gain switch set to normal) 23 dB (Gain switch set to low) Input Sensitivity for 28.28 V Output into 8 Ω Power measurements are with 120 VAC: 0.
Parasound Products, Inc. 2250 McKinnon Ave, San Francisco, CA 94124 415-397-7100 www.parasound.
