Product Lines > Discontinued Products > JC 3 Phono Preamp by John Curl

Product Lines > Discontinued Products > JC 3 Phono Preamp by John Curl:

Designed by John Curl - creator of the legendary Vendetta Research phono preamp
Inputs and outputs use Vampire brand 24k gold-plated RCA jacks
Balanced outputs use Neutrik brand premium XLR jacks
MM 47 k ohm, MC 100 ohm or MC 47 k ohm; (MC 47 k ohm is ideal for high-end Grado moving iron cartridges)
S/N 86 dB MM; 75 dB MC
RIAA accurate within 0.2 dB
Exclusively Vishay-Dale resistors in the audio path
Triple shielding; low-carbon mild steel partitions isolate the power supplies & AC wires
Dual mono design; each audio channel is separately enclosed in its own extruded aluminum enclosure
Separate high speed-soft recovery rectifiers, filter caps and voltage regulators for each channel
Superior R-core type power transformer
Mono switch can improve sound of mono and older LPs
Built-in AC line conditioner to prevent AC noise from polluting the circuits
AC polarity reverse switch can reduce hum in many systems
Non-magnetic aluminum rear panel for purest sound
Turn On Options switch: manual or auto with 12v trigger input
Premium detachable heavy gauge IEC AC cord
2 6’ (3m) trigger wires included
2u Chassis, rack mountable with HRA2 (sold separately)
Parasound 5 year parts, 5 years labor warranty
(For USA and Canada purchases only)

        Frequency Response
        20 Hz - 20 kHz, +/- 0.2 dB

        THD Distortion
        THD: < 0.005% at 20 kHz

        S/N Ratio (MM)
        > 86 dB, input shorted, IHF A-weighted
        > 80 dB, input shorted, unweighted

        S/N Ratio (MC)
        > 75 dB, input shorted, IHF A-weighted
        > 70 dB, input shorted, unweighted

        Crosstalk
        72 dB at 1 kHz

        Phono Input Impedance
        MM setting: 47k ohm
        MC setting: 47k ohm or 100 ohm

        Output Impedance
        Unbalanced: < 100 ohm
        Balanced: < 100 ohm per leg

        Input Sensitivity at 1 kHz
        MM: 4mV in for 1.0V output
        MC: 0.4mV for 1.0V output

        Total Gain
        MM: 47 dB
        MC: 68 dB

        XLR Pin Identification
        1 = Ground (Shield)
        2 = Positive
        3 = Negative (Return)

        AC Power Requirement
        115 or 230 VAC 50 - 60 Hz
        12 watts

        Dimensions
        Width: 17 1/4" (437 mm)
        Depth: 13 3/4" (350mm)
        Height, with feet: 4 1/8" (105mm)
        Height, without feet: 3-1/2" (89mm)

        Weight
        Net: 18 lbs. (8.2 kg)
        Shipping: 25 lbs. (11.4 kg)

        Rack Mount Accessory
        HRA 2 (May be purchased separately)

JC 3 Class A Recommended in the April, 2012 Stereophile.

The average price of Stereophile’s Class A phono preamps is $7,114.
The JC 3 price is 67% below that average.

A few highlights:

"Construction quality is first-rate, top-shelf parts are used throughout, and the stout, heavy chassis is beautifully finished."

"The JC 3 combined superb musical grip and control with a timbrally and texturally ideal midrange."

"The JC 3 represents the best current value in a phono preamp that I know of." (Michael Fremer)

"If your tastes run to purity, clarity, neutrality, and detail, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better phono stage for anywhere near $2350."

"JA noted superb measured performance."

JC 3 in the news

JC 3 Reviews

Read reviews for all of the Halo line.

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KEY
	Product Manuals, Manual Appendices, Product Brochures
	Product Frequently-Asked-Questions
	Remote Control Software, RS-232 Codes
	Software Updates

The following downloads are available for the JC 3 Phono Preamp by John Curl:

Product Information:
	Filename	File Type	Release Date	Important Notice
	JC 3 Owner's Guide	921 kB Adobe PDF	12/15/2010
	Halo Brochure - Screen version	357 KB Adobe PDF	01/01/2013
	Halo Brochure - Print version	2.12 MB Adobe PDF	01/01/2013