Parasound Halo A 21+ Stereo Power Amplifier

With its high-quality chassis, thoughtful circuit design, excellent sound quality, and powerful 300 watts per channel at 8 Ohm , the Parasound  Halo A 21+ offers an impressive value proposition.


Hometheater Review :
As the model name suggests, Parasound decided to improve upon the A 21's design rather than trying to reinvent the wheel. To facilitate this, the designer of the A 21, the legendary John Curl, was brought back in to make the necessary modifications. However, if judging the A 21+ on its outward appearance alone, it would seem not much has changed.


Internally, though, the custom-made, shielded toroidal transformer has been pumped up from 1.2 to 1.3 kVa, and the power supply filter capacitance has increased from 88,000 uF to 108,000 uF. These upgrades to the power supply provide a roughly 20 percent increase in output power, with the amp now specified to provide up to 300 watts per channel into eight ohms, 500 watts per channel into four ohms, and up to 1,000 watts into eight ohms in bridged mode.


Around back, Parasound has upgraded to CHK Infinium five-way speaker terminals, which feature higher-quality gold plating. 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. Both balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA inputs are available, with each channel still featuring its own independent gain control and RCA signal loop outputs.


Performance
The A 21+ offers more impressive dynamics, a more accurate stereo image, wider stereo separation, and I heard more impressive control over my speakers' drivers on a regular basis. 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.


T the A 21+ has a high-bias Class A/AB circuit design, which is one of the amp's standout features. 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. This lack of sparkle on the top end makes it an ideal candidate for those who like to listen for long periods of time.


I found the most impressive part about the A 21+ was how it handled the bottom end. Bass performance from the A 21+ is as good as I've heard from any amplifier near its price point and even competes with many amps costing far more. 


High Points

• Build quality of the Parasound A 21+ is mighty impressive and handsome enough to fit into most décors.
  
• 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.
  
• It's unlikely you'll find a pair of speakers the A 21+ struggles to power. All of its high-power output is rated to be stable with speaker impedance dips down to 1.5 ohms.
  
• When you consider all that's included in the price, the A 21+ continues the high value proposition of its predecessor.
  
  
  

Conclusion
The A 21+ builds upon its predecessor's design, offering upgrades that elevate an already stellar amplifier to a new level. 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.
With its high-quality chassis, thoughtful circuit design, and excellent sound quality, the A 21+ offers an impressive value proposition. Those shopping for a stereo amplifier in this price range should give the A 21+ serious consideration.


Specifications
Power Output – Stereo Mode 300 watts x 2, 8Ω both channels driven 500 watts x 2, 4Ω both channels driven
Power Output – Bridged Mode 1000 watts x 1, 8Ω Bridged 4Ω operation is not recommended
Power measurement are at 120VAC: 0.1% THD, RMS continuous power, full audio band (20Hz - 20kHz)
Current Capacity 60 amps peak, per channel Slew Rate > 130 volts per microsecond
Frequency Response 5Hz - 100kHz, +0/-3dB 20Hz - 20kHz, +0/-0.25dB
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) < 0.1% at full power < 0.03% at typical listening levels
IM Distortion < 0.04%
Input Impedance Unbalanced: 33kΩ Balanced: 66kΩ,(33kΩ per leg)
Total Gain  29Db
Input Sensitivity for 28.28V Output into 8 Ω  Unbalanced: 1V Balanced: 1V per leg
S/N Ratio > 115dB, input shorted, IHF A-weighted > 110dB, input shorted, unweighted
Damping Factor > 1100 at 20 Hz
Net Weight 71lb. (32.2kg)
 
Condition     : 8.5/10
Contact / Whatsapp : Vincent  ( 016-2163136 )
Now selling       :  RM 11,800  11,000
 
 
 

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