Parasound Introduces The 350 Watts Per Channel HCA-3500 Power Amplifier

Parasound has introduced its most powerful stereo amplifier to date. The John Curl-designed HCA-3500 is rated at 350 Watts per channel into 8 ohms, 600 Watts into 4 ohms, and maintains Class A bias up to a remarkable 15 Watts per channel. This amplifier will deliver outstanding impact on high level signals, as well as excellent sonic detail and minimal high-order distortion with low-level signals. The HCA-3500 succeeds the venerable Parasound HCA-2200II, which was introduced to rave reviews in 1993. As the company's most powerful amplifier, the HCA-3500 represents a significant evolutionary improvement over the HCA-2200II. The Parasound HCA-3500 is a classic John Curl design, with balanced JFET inputs, MOSFET drivers and high-current bipolar outputs. The circuit is direct-coupled, with no inductors or capacitors in the signal path. It has separate power supplies for each stage of each channel - eight power supplies in all. With its balanced complementary topology, the HCA-3500 is inherently linear, and any distortion is canceled automatically. Complementary pairs of precision-matched N-channel and P-channel JFETs are cascaded in a differential configuration to optimize gain and reduce high odd-order harmonic distortion. This, says the company, helps to improve overall clarity and preserve low-level musical details. The driver stage uses complementary MOSFETs operating in pure Class A mode to provide tube-like sound quality and a harmonic structure characteristic of FETs. Finally, the output stage uses 12 Beta-matched 15-amp, 60-MHz bipolar transistors, offering a peak current capacity of 120 amperes per channel. The Parasound HCA-3500's rated power per channel is 350 watts into 8 ohms from 20Hz to 20kHz, and 600 watts into 4 ohms from 20Hz to 20kHz. The amplifier actually runs Class A at low power levels, up to 15 watts, explaining, says the company, its exceptional clarity and detail. At higher levels, it operates Class AB for outstanding dynamics and bass linearity. A music sensing circuit drops the bias current to a trickle after one minute without music. This saves electricity and keeps the amplifier cool when it is idling. Each channel of the amplifier has its own power supply with separate left and right channel toroidal power transformers and 197,600 µF of storage capacitance per channel. This dual-mono configuration provides the high levels of on-demand power needed for some of today's more sophisticated speaker systems. On the front panel of the HCA-3500 there are separate left and right channel power switches. The rear panel has both balanced XLR and RCA input jacks, gold-plated five-way speaker terminals, and two removable IEC power cords. The Parasound HCA-3500 is now available with a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $2,195. Founded in 1981, Parasound is a privately owned U.S. company that specializes in providing affordable audio and home theater components to the critical listener.For more information contact Chuck Kittelson at 415 397 7100 or 800 822 8802.