Parasound HALO P6
A 2.1 Channel Preamplifier with DAC.
Review by HomeTheatre
"Parasound has a history of offering products that punch well above their respective price points. The P 6 sounds especially impressive when paired with an amplifier within the Parasound family. It’s also resolving enough that if you pair it with another amplifier or an analog source component, those sonic traits offered by those products are carried through to the rest of your system.
With its excellent build quality, handsome looks, extensive set of input and output options, as well as its impressive built-in DAC section and bass management capabilities, the P 6 is a no-brainer for anyone shopping for a digitally enabled preamplifier close to its asking price."
Preamp and DAC Features
- ESS Sabre32 Reference DAC (ES9018K2M)
- Asynchronous USB 2.0 supports PCM up to 384kHz/32-bit
- USB input decodes Native DSD64, DSD128, DSD256 and DoP DSD
- Coax and optical inputs accept PCM up to 192kHz/24-bit
- Analog bass management with high & low pass crossovers
- Home theater bypass input for surround sound integration
- Front panel subwoofer level control
- Dedicated high current headphone amplifier (TI TPA6120)
- Phono input for MM, MC and MI with 100 Ω or 47k Ω load
- Front panel Aux input with automatic +12 dB gain stage
- 5 pairs RCA line level Analog inputs
- 1 pair XLR balanced Analog input
- Balanced XLR and RCA left and right preamp outputs
- 1 balanced XLR and 2 RCA subwoofer outputs
- Bass & treble controls with relay bypass from remote or front panel
- Rear panel IR input and IR loop output jacks
- 12 Volt trigger output
- Back-lit remote control with discrete buttons
- 0.5w standby power consumption meets Energy Star & EU specs
Specifications
Frequency Response
10 Hz - 100 kHz, +0/-3 dB
20 Hz - 20 kHz, +0/-0.5 dB
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)
< 0.01 %
Interchannel Crosstalk
> 70 dB at 20 kHz
> 78 dB at 1 kHz
Preamplifier Stage Input Sensitivity
300 mV in for 1 V
Total Gain: 10 dB
Max Output: 7.5V
S/N Ratio - Line Inputs 1- 5
> 108 dB (shorted, IHF A-weighted)
> 88 dB (shorted, unweighted)
S/N Ratio - DAC Inputs
> 108 dB (IHF A-weighted)
> 88 dB (unweighted)
S/N Ratio - Phono Input
MM > 80 dB (shorted, IHF A-weighted)
MM > 70 dB (shorted, unweighted)
MC > 67 dB (shorted, IHF A-weighted)
MC > 55 dB (shorted, unweighted)
Phono Stage Sensitivity / Input Impedance
MM: 38 dB / 47 k Ω
MC: 52 dB / 47 k Ω or 100 Ω
Input Impedance
Unbalanced: 24 k Ω
Balanced: 100 k Ω per leg
Preamplifier Output Impedance
Unbalanced: 100 Ω
Balanced: 470 Ω per leg
High & Low Pass Crossover Slope
12 dB per octave
Supported DAC Sampling Rates
USB: up to 384 kHz / 32-bit PCM
DSD Native: DSD 64, DSD 128, DSD 256
DSD over PCM (DoP) at 384 kHz
Coax/Optical: up to 192 kHz / 24-bit PCM
Digital to Analog Converter
ESS Sabre32 Reference ES9018K2M
384 kHz / 32-bit
USB 2.0 Controller
Savitech SA9227, 384 kHz / 32-bit
Headphone Amplifier
Texas Instruments TPA6120A
Output Impedance 10 ohms
XLR Pin Identification
1 = Ground (Shield)
2 = Positive
3 = Negative (Return)
Dimensions
Width: 17-1/4" (437 mm)
Depth: 15" (381 mm)
Depth, with cables 17" (432 mm)
Height, with feet: 4-1/8" (105 mm)
Height, without feet: 3-1/2" (89 mm), 2U
Net Weight
14 lb. (6.3 kg)
Shipping Weight
21 lb. (9.5 kg)
Power Requirement
Standby: 0.5 watts
Power On: 15 watts
100-250 VAC 50/60 Hz (automatic)10 Hz - 100 kHz, +0/-3 dB
20 Hz - 20 kHz, +0/-0.5 dB