HALO A23+ Power Amp
$2,500.00
Two-Channel Power with Elegance and Precision
The Parasound A23+ brings studio-level amplification into your listening room—delivering clarity, depth, and control that defies its compact size.
Co‑designed by legendary engineer John Curl, it features a dual-mono Class A/AB architecture with independent transformers per channel. With 160 W per channel into 8 Ω (240 W into 4 Ω) and bridgeable to 500 W, along with balanced XLR and gold-plated RCA inputs, the A23+ integrates seamlessly into stereo or home theater systems.
Praised by reviewers:
- SoundStage! – “Parasound provides great value… I haven’t heard better sound or seen higher build quality at this price. An impressive power amplifier.”
- Home Theater Hi-Fi – “Solidly constructed and good‑looking amplifier… Balanced sonic characteristics with good presentation of musical details.”
- The Audio Tailor – Highlights “transparency from a sonorous 5 Hz sub-bass right through to 100 kHz,” pointing to exceptional clarity and signal purity.
Power Output – Stereo Mode (0.06% THD)
160 watts x 2, 8 Ω both channels driven
240 watts x 2, 4 Ω both channels driven
Power Output – Stereo Mode (0.9% THD)
210 watts x 2, 8 Ω both channels driven
300 watts x 2, 4 Ω both channels driven
Power Output – Bridged Mode (0.06% THD)
500 watts x 1, 8 Ω
Bridged 4 Ω operation is not recommended
Power Output – Bridged Mode (0.9% THD)
600 watts x 1, 8 Ω
Bridged 4 Ω operation is not recommended
*All Power measurement are at 120 VAC,
RMS continuous power, full audio band (20 Hz - 20 kHz)
Current Capacity
45 amps peak, per channel
Slew Rate
> 130 volts per microsecond
Frequency Response
5 Hz - 100 kHz, +0/-3 dB
20 Hz - 20 kHz, +0/-0.25 dB
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD)
< 0.06 % at full power
< 0.03 % at typical listening levels
IM Distortion
< 0.04 %
TIM
Unmeasurable
Inter-channel Crosstalk
> 85 dB at 1 kHz
> 70 dB at 20 kHz
Input Impedance
Unbalanced: 33 kΩ
Balanced: 66 kΩ,(33 kΩ per leg)
Total Gain
29 dB
Input Sensitivity for 28.28 V Out (8 Ω Load)
Unbalanced: 1 V
Balanced: 1 V per leg
S/N Ratio
> 112 dB, input shorted, IHF A-weighted
> 107 dB, input shorted, unweighted
Damping Factor
> 800 at 20 Hz
DC Trigger Requirements
+9 Vdc to +12 Vdc, 5 mA
Audio Trigger Requirements
2 mV - 10 mV
XLR Pin Identification
1 = Ground (Shield)
2 = Positive
3 = Negative (Return)
Dimensions
Width: 17-1/4" (437 mm)
Depth: 15"-1/4" (388 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
27 lb. (12.2 kg)
Shipping Weight
34 lb. (14.4 kg)
Power Requirement
Standby: <1 Watt
Idle (no music playing): 75 Watts
Typical Listening levels: 125 Watts
Maximum: 800 Watts
110-125 VAC 60 Hz or 220-250 VAC 50 Hz
AC mains voltage is set on rear panel
- 160 watts x 2 @ 8 Ω RMS, both channels driven
- 240 watts x 2 @ 4 Ω RMS, both channels driven
- 500 watts x 1 @ 8 Ω, in bridged mode
- Circuitry designed by legendary John Curl
- High bias Class A/AB operation
- 45 amperes peak current per channel
- Stable with speaker impedance dips below 2 Ω
- Balanced inputs with discrete circuits
- Heavy-duty 24k gold-plated 5-way speaker binding posts
- Gold-plated RCA input & loop output jacks
- Direct-coupled signal path, no capacitors or inductors
- DC Servo and relay protection circuits
- AC turn-on inrush surge protection with relay bypass
- JFET input stage, MOSFET driver stage
- 12 beta-matched 15 ampere, 60 MHz bipolar output transistors
- 1.1 kVA shielded toroid transformer w/ independent windings for each channel
- Independent power supplies for input stage, driver stage and output stage
- 54,400 µF filter capacitors for output stages
- Full power is rated all the way down to 5Hz for unrestricted low-end bass
- Harris hyper-fast soft-recovery bridge diode rectifiers
- Automatic turn-on by 12 V trigger or audio sensing
- 2 rack space chassis with rear carry handles
- Rack mount hardware available separately
- Available in silver or black
LowBeats (Germany) November 2020
"The Parasound P 6 and Parasound A 23+ play together in a pleasingly balanced and precise manner, while still musical with tonality that tends toward warmth. The consistently very supple reproduction and simultaneously true-to-size presentation and pin-point positioning of individual instruments and voices is amazing. Yes, this is how HiFi is fun."
» English Translation PDF
Secrets of Home Theater & High Fidelity, November 2020
"There is a lot to like in the reasonably-priced Parasound HALO A 23+ stereo amplifier. It is stylish, packs sufficient amplification power, and delivers solid high-fidelity sonic performance."
ON-OFF (Spain) September, 2019
"One strength is its capability to reproduce a wide sonic palette, with depth and plenty of micro information. Parasound's power amp is able to bring out the best bass from speakers. Different kinds of music made us appreciate the unusual character of this amplification. Outstanding!"
Soundstage Network July 2019
Reviewer's Choice
"Parasound provides great value in the Halo A 23+. I haven't heard better sound or seen higher build quality at this price. An impressive power amplifier."
Stereo+ (Norway) January 2019
"Together, the Parasound P 6 and A 23+ are dynamite. Pure sonic magic with brilliant dynamics, delicious midrange and impressive resolution. To get such good sound for the price of this duo seems almost unnatural. One incredibly appealing preamp-amplifier package from Parasound."
Support and Downloads
The Preferred Pair Guide
See the speakers our community is pairing with the HALO A23+ Power Amp. Use these community submissions as a starting point to build your own system.
Filter
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Parasound
Amplifier |
Speaker
Brand |
Speaker
Model |
User
Comments |
Photos |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HALO A23+ Power Amp | Klipsch | Forte IV |
The Forte IV's are very efficient speakers and the A23+ with 160 wpc class A A/B power has plenty of power the drive them no matter the demand. The highs and mids are crystal clear and the bass punches. |
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| HALO A21+ Power Amp | Klipsch | Cornwall | I love the parasound A21+ amps with the Cornwall IV's! That certain sound from the Parasound that just seems to bring out the best of the Cornwall's. They can be buttery when Jazz music is played, or very lively when cranked up! We have two A21+ amps bi-amped. One for the mids/highs, one for the lows. We use the gain control on the A21+ to make the Cornwall's sound really musical. If the highs are too bright we can tame them with the gain control. Not to mention, those Parasounds are a beast w/300 watts per channel if you really wanna wake up those Cornwall's. Good thing is the Cornwall's are so Efficient that you don't need the gain control ... | |
| NC 2125v2 Power Amp | KEF | R3 Meta | The 2125 v.2 drives the R3’s with ease. Bass is tight and fast and the treble is refined. Midrange is natural and full. | |
| JC1+ Monoblock | Focal | Sopra 3 | I moved from the JC5 to a pair of JC1+ monoblocks with Focal Sopra No3, and the difference came down to three things. First, the soundstage. It’s noticeably deeper and more stable, with better focus on individual instruments. Everything sits more clearly in space. Second, the bass. It’s tighter, faster, and more controlled. There’s less bloom and more structure, especially on complex material. Third, channel separation. With the monoblocks, left and right feel more independent, which makes the whole presentation cleaner and easier to follow. Overall, the JC1+ doesn’t change the character of the system — it just removes limitations and lets th... | |
| HALO A23+ Power Amp | Paradigm | Founder 100 | I have always used parasound amplification and once I swapped in the paradigm founders it was as if everything got upgraded coming from paradigm studio 60 to the founders I was not expecting such a positive response. Parasound amplification is very clean and powerful. Excellent detail retrieval. | |
| HALO A23+ Power Amp | Klipsch | Cornwall IV | I love the pairing. Wide, deep soundstage. Amp stays cool at high volumes. Speakers never seem like they are being stressed. | |
| HALO A21+ Power Amp | Magnepan | 3.7i | I used the Halo A21 with the Maggie 3.7 to great effect for a time beginning in 2009. I upgraded to the Maggie 3.7i later, then replaced the A21 with an A21+. Along the way I was intrigued by the Benchmark amp, and when I found two used for sale at a good price I bought them. The idea was to configure them as mono and drive each channel separately. Well, they couldn’t play at realistic volume because the protection circuitry would mute the output much too readily. After much back and forth with Benchmark, and submitting them to the manufacturer for assessment, I had to abandon them. They checked out fine at Benchmark, yet they couldn’t explai... | |
| HALO A21+ Power Amp | Bowers & Wilkins | 803 D3 |
I have been very pleased with this pairing. At first it did not shine but with room treatment and addition of 2 subs all it is an amazing pair. Crystal clear, beautiful sound. I would plan to add a second A21+ to bi-amp the speakers down the road. |
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| HALO A21+ Power Amp | Bowers & Wilkens | 803 D4 | Great job, they drive them effortlessly, with exceptional detail and control. The most recent and exceptionally well recorded, hi-res digital recordings are reproduced superbly. Very happy, especially the level of performance at this price point. These speakers drop to 3 ohms at some points, it is no issue for this amp. | |
| JC5 Stereo Power Amp | Revel | Ultima Salon 2 | These speakers are super revealing and full range but will show defects in any associated gear. They require a fair amount of current to drive the low bass. Not a problem for the JC5. Not only is the bass full, extended, and articulate, the rest of the audio spectrum is well balanced and I experience outstanding sound field breadth, image localization, and depth. Mid-range detail is excellent with smooth vocals and great piano transient articulation. The harmonic detail in cello and violin body character is easily discernible. High frequency sound character, like cymbal sounds, is full of complex harmonics and rich, rather than harsh and sibi... | |
| JC5 Stereo Power Amp | Martin Logan | Motion XT F100 | I’m feeding my Motion XT F100 with JC5 amp and a JC2-BP pre-amp. The combination is very resolving and musical with wide soundstage and amazing depth. I love this setup! Plenty of power and the Pre-amp was upgraded from the P6, which I liked by the JC2 bring it to a new level. | |
| HALO A21+ Power Amp | Bowers & Wilkins | Matrix 804 | I replaced a Parasound HCA 1200II withe A21+ and an improved tightness in the soundstage and particularly the mid bass was immediately evident. Was very happy with it. Brilliant soundstage and resolution, even on the very best recorded hi-res digital and vinyl. Excellent value. Note these B&W dropped to about 3.5 ohms, which was handled effortlessly. I have since upgraded these speakers, but included them in the database for reference. | |
| JC5 Stereo Power Amp | Dali | Epicon 2 | My 2-channel system includes a Parasound JC 5 power amplifier, Rogue Audio RP-7 hybrid tube preamplifier, Parasound JC 3+ phono stage, PS Audio Stellar DAC, Eversolo T8 streamer, Rega P10 turntable with a Rega Apheta 3 MC cartridge, Dali Epicon 2 speakers, REL T9x subwoofers, and room treatments by Music City Acoustics. | |
| HALO A21+ Power Amp | Monitor Audio | RS6 | The speakers predate the amp purchase. But the amp was selected because the speakers benefit from a lot of current to drive the mid range and bass. Low current they sound muddy. Same volume with the A21+ and the music comes alive with better separation and clarity around the instruments. Great combination for low/medium listening levels in a small/medium room. | |
| HALO A21+ Power Amp | Canton | Vento 100 | I started out with the Halo HINT which is a fantastic integrated amplifier and used that for probably 6 years paired with Rega RX5 speakers. I added dual SVS SB2000 subs due to the bass management section of the HINT and that combo served me really well. I then upgraded and added the A21+ and within 2 years added the JC2BP preamp. About 5 months ago I auditioned a pair of Canton Vento 100 towers and felt that pairing would be incredible with the A21+. My suspicion was confirmed. The A21+ has a tremendous control and delivery of low end that I knew the Canton speakers would benefit greatly from the A21+. The A21+ now is showing me more of what... | |
| JC5 Stereo Power Amp | Polk Audio | R700 | I originally paired the R700's with Parasound A21+ but when I bought my older Polk Audio RT3000P's and being 8 ohm with a higher 92 dB sensitivity i decided to buy my JC5 to pair with the R700's since they are 4 ohm speakers with 87 dB sensitivity and the higher current with the JC5 paired with its 600 watts into each channel after and A/B comparison the JC5 was more musical and sounded better with even more headroom then the A21+. I was totally satisfied with the A21+ for the R700's until I needed another amp for another set of Polk Audio towers and all the reviews mentioned the Polk audio R700's like high power in the form of current and wa... | |
| HALO HINT6 Integrated Amp | Sonus Faber | Sonetto 5 G2 | Warm Presentation | |
| JC5 Stereo Power Amp | Usher | Dancer Mini-2 Diamond | The neutral sound from the JC-5 allows the Ushers to really shine. Solid bass, great mids and crisp highs - together these provide a very clean and revealing sound. | |
| HALO A21+ Power Amp | Polk Audio | Legend L600 | This amplifier puts a smile on my face every time I turn it on. I originally paired my Polk Legend L600 speakers with a Hint6 integrated and that combination was beyond reproach. This speakers are a very demanding load and I was able to get a fantastic deal on the A21+ when Parasound was liquidating the silver color stock so I took a chance. From the first note on Miles Davis's Birth of the Blue vinyl, upon dropping the needle I was grinning from ear to ear. The sound of Davis's horn is gorgeous (for lack of a better word) as are the sounds of Coltrane and Cannonball's instruments. Next up was my copy of the 25th anniversary issue of Buena Vi... | |
| HALO A21+ Power Amp | Tannoy | Glenair 15 | I love pairing highly efficient speakers like my Tannoy Glenair 15 speakers to an amp like my A21+ which has a ton of headspace to allow most of my listening to happen in the Class A space unless I really want to drive them hard and shake the walls. I can't recommend this combination enough! | |
| JC5 Stereo Power Amp | Q_ACOUSTICS | Concept 500 | I have the JC2 and JC5 Combo that drives the Q Acoustics Concept 500 very well. They produce very musical and engaging sound. Very good bass and all frequency range is well balanced. I did pair the combo with a pair of ProAc D2R bookshelf loudspeakers which didn't produce as good result as the Concept 500. I'm using Van den Hul speaker cables. Hope this helps. | |
| NC 2250v2 Power Amp | Klipsch | RF-7 III | Tons of power going into these highly efficient speakers makes for a very responsive, powerful, sound which is great for gaming and music. Stereo amp paired with the Parasound pre-amp is a solid combo for these speakers. | |
| HALO A51 5-channel power Amp | Arendal | 1723 Surround | Wow, I have a Halo A31 for my mains and a Halo A51 for my side and back surrounds. The Arendal speakers are solid for music and movies in Atmos. They can be a bit bright and I needed an amp to carry out their full potential and warm the sound a touch. The A51 and A31 do this in an amazing way. I just finished adding the A51, some might think a lesser amp is all that is needed for side and rear surrounds, may be true, but if you have speakers that can handle the explosiveness of the A51, do it. Just finished watching 2 movies and listening to Atmos music and can share, without question, the power clarity and smooth control this amp has over my... | |
| HALO A23+ Power Amp | Focal | Aria 936 | The amp has plenty of current for speakers that can easily go as low as 4 ohms. Outstanding for 2-channnel and home theater as well. | |
| HALO HINT6 Integrated Amp | KEF | R11 Meta | I went with KEF and the pairing was amazing in both volume and detail. | |
| JC5 Stereo Power Amp | Legacy | Focus SE | Sound stage is forward..detail/dynamics in the bass | |
| HALO A21+ Power Amp | Klipsch | RF-7iii | I'm currently pairing Klipsch rf7 iii with Parasound a21+. I absolutely love these speakers. Dual 10's with compression driver tweeters. They might not be the most neutral speaker according to audiophiles but man are they fun. The Parasound a21+ amplifier really grabs these woofers with authority. The bass and highs are amazing. Music is crystal clear at any volume provided by Eversolo dmp-a8 akm velvet dacs and powered to perfection with the a21+. There's just something about that klipsch sound that does it for me. In my home the-ater the Parasound a21+ is accompanied by the a31 and a52+. All Klipsch all Parasound halos. They pair so perfect... | |
| JC5 Stereo Power Amp | Bowers & Wilkins | 802 D4 | Perfect match for the 802 D4's, no need to bi-amp or bi-wire, just straight into the speakers, more than enough power to move the bass drivers. Excellent transparency and soundstage. No harshness to the highs. Really a great and solid amp for the power hungry B&W's. | |
| HALO A23+ Power Amp | Martin Logan | ESL | Effortless imaging depth and soundstage width. Bass is deep, and upper bass/lower mids are rich, bringing pianos into the room. Voices are natural and seem to hover in the air between the speakers. | |
| HALO A23+ Power Amp | Focal | 705 Chorus | I have an pair of JM Lab (now Focal) 705 Chorus bookshelf speakers c.2004, a Focal 700 Chorus subwoofer, a WiiM Ultra preamp and budget sources (Sony turntable + Cambridge 640P and Samsung DVD/CD). I needed amplification and outclassed everything with the Parasound Halo A23+. It's easily the star of the show as it makes everything else sound better. It spotlighted more detail in familiar music than I'd ever heard without over-exposing fidelity downfalls in my budge gear. Always having just one Denon AVR-2700 meant I'd never truly heard what those JM Labs could do. I had no idea how full and dynamic they could sound. What a highly capable litt... | |
| HALO HINT6 Integrated Amp | Vandersteen | 2C3 Signature III | Combined with an SVS SB200 Pro Sub-woofer and a Bluesound Node enhanced with an Sbooster power supply. Fantastic clarity of detail combined with a robustness that's hard to beat. Whispering violins or hard rock both handled with aplomb. | |
| JC5 Stereo Power Amp | Focal | Sopra 1 | I've been using Parasound amps for years, my first being a brand new 5250 paired with Paradigm studio 100s. I upgraded the amps to a JC5 for the L/R and three A23+ for CC and rear/side surrounds. My new Focal Sopra 3s just love the power from the JC5 and the rears Sopra 1s also pair very well with the A23+ Couldn't be happier!! | |
| JC5 Stereo Power Amp | Bowers & Wilkins | Nautilus 802 | I’ve owed my 802’s for almost 20 years, different amps and sound processors. Currently Anthem AVM90 and Parasound JC5 super sweet spot. Looking to upgrade to 802D3’s. | |
| HALO HINT6 Integrated Amp | Polk Audio | LSi15 | I originally bought the HINT6 integrated to pair with a pair of about 20 year old Polk LSi15 speakers which present a really demanding load. This combination was beautiful and this integrated brought new life to these speakers and the HINT6 had no issue handling the LSi15s even at very high volumes. Listening to Ella Fitzgerald's The Christmas Song, the clarity of the instruments as well as the beauty of Ella's voice came through with flying colors. Listening to Steel Pulse's Chant a Psalm made me smile. This is a beautiful sounding integrated amp with enough power to drive most real world speakers(even difficult ones) and to do so with a com... | |
| JC5 Stereo Power Amp | Paradigm | Persona Center | Parasound is paired with Paradigm Persona speakers (Persona 3F and Persona Center) and Chord Electronics for Digital to Analog conversion of 2 channel music (Chord TT-2 and M Scaler). A Hifi Rose RS130 is used for streaming with the lowest noise possible and jitter. I am using the Rose with SFP fiber for internet connection. The front speakers are powered by a JC-5 and a JC-2 preamplifier. For home theater an Anthem AVM 90 processor is used, it combines very well with the Parasound JC-5, A-51 and a Parasound A-23+ (7.2.2 channels overall). All of these components are filtered by a Furman Reference 20-i and a Torus power RM15 plus. The sound i... | |
| JC5 Stereo Power Amp | Martin Logan | Motion XT F100 | The Parasound JC5 provide warm clean power to mt Martin Logan XT F100’s. Vocals sound warm and clear, lower end bass is handled with precision but the way the JC5 reacts with the folded motion tweeter is incredible. I couldn’t be happier | |
| HALO A23+ Power Amp | Bowers & Wilkins | 802 Matrix Series 3 | I love the Parasound sound, or lack thereof. It is a clean chain that offers a ton of flexibility and plenty of might for my power-hungry B&Ws, known to dip into impedances below 2-ohms. With the A23+, I get plenty of low-end support, un-hyped high end, and excellent imaging throughout the audible range. | |
| HALO A23+ Power Amp | Bowers & Wilkins | 804 S | Everything about this pairing is great for classical music, jazz, and just TV. Lots of demanding classical music never sounded as good as what comes out of the new amp. I\'ve even had amazing new sound experiences watching TV movies through TV digital out to a converter to this amp. A great move on my part. | |
| HALO A21+ Power Amp | Krell | Resolution 1 | Only a few hours in so it will get better sounding when it's broken in. I just got the Amp from Parasound delivered today. They shipped it right out after I ordered.... The A21+ makes my Krell Resolution 1 speakers sing. Has all the power/current the Res 1's need. I had previously ran 20 amp dedicated lines w Hubbell hospital grade outlets so the A21+ has all the current it will ever need. The A21+ is paired w an Anthem AVM 70 processor. I had really wanted the JC5 but funds are limited.... | |
| JC5 Stereo Power Amp | GoldenEar | Reference | JC5/JC2 BP with the GoldenEar Reference speakers being driven effortlessly at every decibel level. Clarity and dynamics like I’ve never experienced. Gustard A26 secret weapon DAC also adds to this excellent combination. Thank you Parasound! | |
| HALO A21+ Power Amp | Martin Logan | ESL | It was recommended from my retailer, I first tried with an old NAD amplifier. The new setup with Parasound was great, and i didn’t even know what i bought. Haven’t heard of Parasound, probably because i hadn’t bought any new HiFi in 15 years. | |
| HALO A21+ Power Amp | Bowers & Wilkins | 702 S2 Signature | The A21+ was upgraded from a previous A21 and the improvements were immense. The + version was a huge improvement in headroom and obvious power delivery, dynamics and useful improvements on the real panel as well. I use a bi-wired configuration with a Rel T7x sub wired from the speaker terminals on the A21+. I have been in love with Parasound since my original A21 and (2) A23s I used as a home theater set up. I now use a A52+ for my center and surround channels. Hope this helps someone. | |
| JC5 Stereo Power Amp | PMC | Twenty5.23 | The JC5 is more than capable of driving the PMC, and bring out the full range potential of the speakers. It is an immensely satisfying pairing that can handle any music genre with ease, from delicate musical moments to chest thumping bass slams when they are present in the music. | |
| JC5 Stereo Power Amp | Audiovector | R3 Arrete | Easy to listen to for extremely extended sessions, with powerful well controlled bass, convincing natural midrange and delicate treble detail...nothing sounds forced.....very cohesive. | |
| NC 2125v2 Power Amp | KEF | R3 Meta | The amp has plenty of power in a mid size room, The sound is open and spacious with good detail, bass and imaging. Used with an SVS 2000 sub, there is nothing left to desire. | |
| HALO A21+ Power Amp | Focal | 836v | The amplifier provides exceptional power and clarity to this speaker. At no point is the speaker in need of more power. | |
| JC5 Stereo Power Amp | Usher | Mini 2 Diamond | Amp is neutral and does a great job driving the Ushers which are detailed and balanced with a great soundstage. | |
| HALO A21+ Power Amp | Bowers & Wilkins | Nautilus 802 | A great pairing. Clean power that does not let the current hungry 802s down. | |
| HALO A21+ Power Amp | Martin logan | EM ELS | Absolutely stunning. Electrostatic speakers have huge dips, sometimes down to 1.5 ohms. This Parasound Halo a23 plus doesn't even break a sweat. The music is warm, energizing and eye opening. The amp grabs hold of the speakers and never let's go. | |
| HALO A21+ Power Amp | Paradigm | Founders 100f | I used an Anthem MRX 740 as my main amplifier but felt something was missing. I’ve had a Luxman Class A integrated I bought as a soldier in W. Germany in 1988 and then later a Nakamichi TA-4A (Nelson Pass Threshold amp). But I missed that beautiful Class A with the Anthem. I did my research and added an A21+ after saving up forever and I smiled when I hooked it up to the preouts. BUT! (Always a ‘but’ in this hobby) I want MORE. More Class A. More sweetness. I want a JC5. But my wife? Not so much. This has been an almost 40 year journey and my end game is your amp. |