Parasound - Zphono



Parasound - Zphono

Parasound

Label:

Equipment

Product No.:
M ZPHONO
UPC: 791084500080
Availability:
In Stock
Category:

Phono Pre Amps



$249.00

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The Absolute Sound - 2010 Editors' Choice Awards The Absolute Sound - 2009 Editors' Choice Awards The Absolute Sound - 2008 Editors' Choice Awards The Absolute Sound 2007 Editors' Choice Award

"That Parasound box is the bomb. You would not believe how good it made a 200-gram copy of Hotel California sound. It totally smoked the CD in my A/B comparison. Bass was big and creamy smooth. The vocals were like live in the studio. And the top end was crystal clear and sizzling from my Bostons. That Parabox was the best money I've spent in a while. I am amazed at how quiet the system was during the track runoffs. This set up made that 30-year-old Marantz sound like high-end new gear. You are the man. Making the world safe and affordable for old-school audio geeks like me." – Frank Dominici, Acoustic Sounds customer

An entry-level phono preamp for a very reasonable price. We don't think you'll do better for $199.99. Take those LPs out of storage and get back to the real sound of vinyl. This elegantly simple and affordable component allows your turntable to be used with any preamplifier or receiver. Long live vinyl!

  • Works with all line drive preamplifiers
  • RIAA curve accurate to 0.25 dB
  • Ultra-low distortion
  • Switchable gain for moving magnet or moving coil cartridges
  • Exclusive AC polarity switch to eliminate hum
  • Ultra high-speed, low-noise opamps
  • Audiophile grade resistors and capacitors
  • Gold-plated RCA input and output jacks
  • Unique half-rack width chassis; 1 rack space high
  • Fastening hardware available for rack mounting
  • Parasound 2 year parts, 2 years labor warranty
  • Gain at 1 kHz: MM, 46dB; MC, 61 dB
  • Input sensitivity at 1 kHz: MM, 5 mV in for 1.1 V output; MC, .9 mV in for 1.1 V output
  • Input impedance: 47 k ohms
  • Input overload: MM, 200 mV; MC, 36 mV
  • RIAA accuracy: 0.25 dB, 20 Hz - 20 kHz
  • S/N ratio: MM, 84 dB; MC, 58 dB
  • Power requirement: 115 V - 230 V, 60/50 Hz, 5 W
  • Dimensions: 9-1/2" w x 1-3/4" h x 10" d, 2" h with feet
  • Net weight: 4 lbs.



Customer Reviews (5.00 Stars) 11 person(s) rated this product.

Don't let the price fool you....it's worth its weight in gold!

posted on 03/13/2013
5 Stars
Reviewer: Edward E L Horn
Let me preface this review by saying I have used this unit for a year now. I started with a Pro-Ject Debut III with a Super OM20 cartridge and now have a Music Hall mmf 5.1SE with the Mojo

When I first got it, it blew me away. When I upgraded to the Music Hall, it REALLY blew me away. It's considerably better than the phono input on my NAD preamp, and that by itself says a lot! When I got my new 'table, I thought I might need to upgrade, but the 'table and this seem VERY happy together. My records sound like the musicians are in my listening room. I asked Stelly, the audio expert at Acoustic Sounds, what might be a good upgrade.....this unit is so good in my system that he said just about anything not in the $1000 range would most likely be a lateral move. In fact, I was prepared to spend three times as much on a new phono preamp, but Stelly chose this one for me. That not only shows the integrity of Acoustic Sounds, it shows how darn good this unit is!


Great Phono Preamp for the Price

posted on 12/28/2012
5 Stars
Reviewer: Luther Enloe
If you are looking for a reasonably price entry-level phono preamp this is it. While I have moved on to a higher priced preamp, the Zphono got me into vinyl in a serious way. I used the Zphono with a Rega P3-24 turntable (Elys 2 and Clearaudio Virtuoso cartridges) and never experienced any buzzing. This unit is a great value that I highly recommend.


AMAZING

posted on 10/28/2008
5 Stars
Reviewer: VINNY
WORTH EVERY PENNY !!! ADDED THIS TO MY ROTEL RX1052 WHICH HAS A SO SO PHONO STAGE NEVER REALLY FELT THE TRUE POWER OF MY VINYL AS MY MARANTZ 2385 HAD. WELL ADDED THIS LITTLE GUY TO THE SYSTEM AND LET ME TELL YA WHAT A DIFFERENCE!! THE DYNAMIC RANGE IS VERY FULL..MY NEW ROTEL NOW HAS THE FEEL OF A VINTAGE TUBE AMP WITHOUT TAKING UP ALL THE SPACE..DO NOT HOOK DIRECT INTO EXISTING PHONO ON YOUR UNIT USE ANOTHER INPUT. YOU WONT BE SORRY U BOUGHT THIS...FOR SYSTEMS WITHOUT A GOOD PHONO INPUT OR UNITS WITHOUT ONE ALL TOGETHER THIS IS YOUR ANSWER


Nice sound....nice value

posted on 12/03/2007
5 Stars
Improved the quality of the bottom,,, even with existing preamp. Nice value overall...


Parasound buxx

posted on 11/27/2007
5 Stars
I really enjoy the sound from this little phono preamp but, I can not get it to stop buzzing. I have a Rega which does not have a ground plug, so maybe that is it.

I normally do not hear the buzz on loud or sustained music but, on quiet protions it is noticable and irritating.


Love It Love It Love It

posted on 07/12/2007
5 Stars
Reviewer: Darren Atlanta Georgia
I am new to the audiophile world, but this was recommeded to me by a friend who is far from being new and he was right. The music is warm and the sound is wonderful. Thanks goes to Scott in California.


New life for my old LP's

posted on 06/24/2007
5 Stars
Reviewer: Rich L.
I pretty much had to get a phono amp since my new receiver had no phono input. Best thing that ever happened to my record collection! Better, tighter bass than CD and fantastic tone and timbre on strings. My LP of Boston's Third Stage way beats the CD now. So does Bob Seger's album The Distance. I'd use this unit from now on, even if my amp or receiver had it's own phono jacks!!


Vast Improvement for Just a Little Cash

posted on 05/20/2007
5 Stars
Reviewer: Bruce S.
Works like a charm. Quiet and unobtrusive - easy to hook up - and does its thing without a complaint. As far as the price goes, the Zphono gives you a lot of bang for the hard-earned buck. I couldn't recommend this more for those with champagne tastes, and a beer budget.


Awesome!!!!

posted on 05/14/2006
5 Stars
Reviewer: Andrew
This Preamplifier is fantastic!! It's very quiet and extremely easy to use. I would expect to pay hundreds more for this box!! If your just using your stereos built in preamp this is one upgrade worth looking into.


THE SOUND THAT I FOUND

posted on 12/19/2005
5 Stars
THIS PRODUCT HAS A STRONG SPIRIT. IT WORKS PERFECTLLY WITH ANY AMPLIFIER, TURNTABLE AND CARTRIDGE, BECASUE OFERRS TWO OPTIONS, MOVING MAGNET AND MOVINGCOIL. THE SOUND THAT I FOUND ON THIS PRODUCT IS GREAT, PURE AND POWERFULL, WITH A VERY CONVINIENCE SIZE AND PRICE. ITS PLATED GOLD'S RCA TERMINALS GIVEN A GREAT SUPPORT TO REACHOUT A SOUND WARM AND TRANSPARENT. THE RESULT: TOO MANY HOURS OF ENJOY WITH YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC, AND THE IMAGES OR MEMORYS THAT SOUNDS FOR SURE CAME WITH IT.


Can't touch this one for anywhere near the price!

posted on 04/10/2005
5 Stars
Reviewer: John Greenstreet
I recently bought a new 7.1 channel A/V receiver that, unlike most, actually included a phono input. Digital and other line-level sources sounded fantastic, but it seemed that all my vinyl had lost its magic. One of the most obvious problems was that the existing phono stage didn't have enough gain, so I often had the volume all the way up, which meant there was also a lot of noise from the amplifier itself.

This unit solved all my problems. The gain is very high, lowering the overall system noise floor, and the response is ruler-flat. Now my entire collection sounds better than ever before. An added bonus is that I now hear (and feel) ultra-low bass that was simply not previously evident. I shudder to think how much more one would have to spend to audibly improve upon the performance of this preamp.


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