Parasound Halo C2 Processor Review

Perhaps the obvious difference between the C1 and the C2 could be seen by the height, which made way for the 5" flat panel screen on the C1. The screen would probably come in very handy when setting up the C 1 in with a front projector especially when the C 1 is located on the same wall as the projector screen. The on-board flat panel display mimicked the On-Screen Display and could either be operated via the remote or on the buttons located directly on the C 1's front panel. Both methods proved to be extremely useful for the times we needed (or wanted) to set up the C 1 without a monitor. For example, I used this panel display quite a bit when listening to two channel CDs where I didn't want the distraction of my large Rear Projection Monitor but still required setup and configuration tweaks to optimize the sound, or switch the DSP modes. The OSD also had a "Temp Display" that could be set to "Full" or "Simple." In "Simple" mode, the C 1 displayed only the specified function, such as the DSP type, Input Selection, Volume and other line item functions. When set to "Full" the unit displayed the entire menu from the On-Screen Display.

The Front Panels of the Halos could also be adjusted in brightness. The C2 allowed for the display to be completely turned off or adjusted to three different brightness levels. The C 1's flat panel display could also be dimmed but it was not able to be completely turned off. Even in the lowest dim setting, there was a faint glow from the panel which could be seen peripherally when viewing movies in the dark if the unit is located to the side of the screen as was the case in Reference System 2. The dim setting adjustment for the flat panel display also varied the brightness of the text making it a bit harder to read in the dimmest settings.

What Audioholics review would be complete without our peak under the hood? The digital architecture of the Halo C 2 and C 1 included four dual channel AKM's AK 4393 Digital-To-Analog Converters and one Motorola Symphony 56367 24-Bit DSP. This Motorola DSP is common in several other receivers and processors from companies such like Aragon and Anthem.

Power Supply

What seemed to be missing from our look inside was the typical larger and heavier linear power supply we've seen in many other processors. In its place was a computerized digitally switching power supply which was the fundamental reason for the Halos lighter than average 18-lb (C 2) and 22-lb (C 1) weights. When we asked Richard and Tony Pointes (Head of Technical Department) about this power supply, they pointed out the following. One advantage of this design was that the Halos were able to automatically switch to different input voltages making them ready for an international marketplace. According to Parasound the digital switching power supply also proved to be more efficient by converting the frequency to much higher rates than the standard 60-Hz. Aside from the front panel display, the power supply is another differentiation for the C1 and C2 as Parasound informed us that the C 1 included additional filtering. Some of this was likely used to operate the TFT display

The Halos included a very useful feature called "Enhanced Bass" which sends bass from channels set to "large" to the sub simultaneously. This feature was particularly useful when listening to two channel CD playback or Satellite TV, as it provided extra bass sound with the push of one button on the remote. However, when the front channel speakers were set to "small," the sub remained on at all times regardless of the menu which still allowed for "On" or "Off" to be selected. This was a bit confusing at first and it would have been a bonus feature to actually be able to control the Enhanced Bass with "small" speakers. The Enhanced Bass "On" and "Off" could also be toggled when switching to 7.1 channel inputs, but since the signal was bypassing the digital circuitry, it too was defeated though still selectable. While this wasn't the end of the world, it could be confusing to many operators thus why we noted it in our review.

For most AV Controllers "Direct Mode" usually means Analog Mode or "Pure Direct" Mode but on the Halos, it actually referred to the mode of the source. Using the Direct mode allowed the C 1 and C 2 to automatically select the appropriate digital format for a digital source signal including stereo, mono, Dolby Digital,... and DTS.

The Halos provided one set of 7.1 channel inputs for DVD-Audio and SACD. Unfortunately, there was only one set of global speaker level settings which made it challenging to switch between the two formats as the subwoofer outputs vary. So when switching, from one to the other, we had to adjust the subwoofer level volume by ear using just the On-The-Fly adjustments.

Both the Halo C 1 and C 2 came with 10 additional unbalanced analog inputs (via RCA) which could be used for CD players, turntables, VCR (for those still living in the past), and any other analog source of interest. It's important to note that these were processed in the digital domain. The Halos did provide pure analog inputs which bypassed the digital circuitry via a set of balanced XLR analog inputs and the 7.1 channel unbalanced RCA analog inputs. So in order to remain in total analog, it required using either of these connections.

I was pleased to see both the C1 and C2 offered brackets which could be easily installed on the units to make them ready to mount into a standard 19"-wide rack. This was likely provided for the custom installers and Audiophiles who don't just furnish their products, but solidly bolt them on to something robust and sturdy.

The Halos came equipped with an array of different modes which included all the basics.

C2 Back Panel (left);  C1 Back Panel (right)

The Halo C 2 and C 1 did not offer analog bypass via RCA inputs. When we made the connections via the unbalanced RCA analog inputs, the unit passed the signal through the DSP thereby converting it to digital. For most DVD and CD applications, this would not be a problem as the DACs in the Processor are likely to be a higher quality than the DACs in most players, with some exceptions. I tested this theory with our Denon DVD-2900 Universal Player simply by connecting it via its 7-channel output to the analog direct 7-channel RCA inputs of the Halos. When switching frantically between Audio Source 1 (digital input) and Multi-channel input (Analog Input), we found the sound quality of two channel CDs audibly improved when played through the digital connections which used the DACs in the Halo processors.

Both Halos offered a pair of balanced XLR analog audio inputs. Unfortunately we did not have a player with this type of balanced XLR output so we were unable to take advantage of this feature. While the Halos offered an array of RCA inputs for analog sources, they were converted into digital and passed through the digital bass management and DSP's. Not having true analog RCA inputs would likely only be a nuisance for analog purists using turntables, VCRs or tape decks as these signals will be converted to digital and not remain as true analog.

During our installation, we quickly realized that the Halos had nine Balanced XLR Outputs for connecting the four additional Aux programmable channels which was one short of the 10 total channels. When we questioned Richard Schram about this during CES 2004, he told us there simply wasn't enough room on the back panel for additional balanced outputs. Instead Parasound decided not to grow the size and weight of the processor therefore offering one Aux Channel (labeled as Pro 1), and four RCA Unbalanced Outputs for all four Aux channels (labeled as Pro 1, Pro 2, Pro 3 and Pro 4).

As for the rest of the back panel and available connections there were plenty and more than enough for the average Home Theater installation. But in an effort to keep this article concise, instead of elaborating on them in this review, we have opted to provide a download for the Halos User Manual (Click Here for C 1 User Manual) ( Click Here for C 2 User Manual ) which identifies the entire back panels.

As discussed in the previous section, both Parasound Halos offered four Aux programmable channels as part of Parasound's "7.5 Enhanced Surround." Aux channels are not necessarily unique to the Halo products as they were also found on almost every Yamaha receiver we've reviewed (as two front effects channels), the Sunfire Theater Grand III and IV (as two side channels), and several other products. But what made Parasound's approach unique was not the provision of these Aux channels, but their programmability and versatility which could be tailored to individual tastes, needs and Theater Rooms. These extra channels were outlined and described in the User Manuals as follows:

Parasound formulated several mix recommendations for these channels which can be downloaded and viewed from the following .PDF file (Click For Link). Note, these were provided just as guidelines and it's completely up to the end user as to what specialized mix is implemented when these channels are used. We will elaborate on the performance enhancement with these channels within our listening test section.

After auto-calibrating I verified the accuracy of the results from the automatic volume level in two ways. First, we used a Radio Shack Sound Pressure Level Meter and the built in test tones from the C1 and C2. We quickly measured that all channels were indeed accurately set to at least within the accuracy of the SPL meter (+/- ½ db). We then used the Avia Pro DVD test tones and cycled through all channels once again measuring the volume with our SPL meter. When doing so, we found that both the C 1 and C 2 proved to accurately set their own volume levels. Furthermore the built-in Halo test tones were right on the money when compared to the external tones found on the Avia DVD's.

We then verified the accuracy the automatic distance setup with the sophisticated measurement tool known as a tape measure . The C 1 and C 2 were again accurate this time in their auto-calibration of speaker distances which proved to be within at least +/- 1 foot. Richard Schram informed us that even though the display menu showed 1-foot increments, the auto-calibration distance was actually accurate to within +/- ½ foot. Setting these distances manually however could only be done to within the 1-foot, so it was best to use the automatic calibration feature. What's interesting was that when we manually changed these distances to a delay that exceeded 2 m-seconds, there was a red warning which popped up on the OSM. We also learned that any speaker set to an unrealistic distance, such as greater than 22-feet, would be highlighted in the On-Screen Menu with a different color. We did not necessitate taking advantage of these features, but I'm sure there could be situations in other setups where these warnings may indeed become helpful in identifying possible problems. This was especially true if you're a custom installer and a customer who doesn't quite understand calibration and inadvertently changes a setting. When doing so they should be able to quickly identify these warnings and hopefully realize their error. Dare I say that this feature made configuring the Halos almost fool-proof?

We did encounter a slight problem when calibrating the subwoofer which we later discussed with Richard. Given the Theater Room size for Reference 2 , we were unable to get the subwoofer far enough away (greater than 11-feet) for accurate automatic group delay calibration (distance) and level adjustments, at least on the C 2. But we were able to manually set the level using our trusty Radio Shack SPL meter and the distance using our handy calibrated tape measure. However, when we did the subwoofer calibration on the C 1 we did not experience this configuration hiccup thereby making the auto-calibration on the C 1 flawless.

The Audio Setup Menu was pretty straight forward, but did include a few notable features such as reverb for Club and Concert Modes, and Dolby/DTS setup along with a few other nice parameters. The Dolby/DTS setup included the following adjustments:

The Preset Setup was a welcomed feature on the Halo C1 and C2. In this menu, there were five storage bins for presets which included adjustments for tone controls (bass, treble) and volume controls for the center, surround and subwoofer channels. These presets could be assigned to one or more specified input in the "Source" setup menu. These settings came in quite handy when listening to vintage two-channel CD's for example, where the bass needed just a bit more oomph to be appreciable. The other notable comment about these presets was the fact that they did not alter the auto-calibration volumes. They were independent and could be used simply to boost or decrease the volumes of a specified channel. The Presets were run through the digital circuitry and were defeated when using 7-channel analog inputs. Using these presets required some additional setup as they were only accessible via the On-Screen Menu however they could be conveniently assigned to each input. In fact, these parameters were also adjustable via the external downloadable software which could be done on your PC and then downloaded to the Halo.

It was apparent that Parasound thought about a global market for the Halos, not only based on the automatic input voltage adjustment, but also with the "Display" setup. In the Display setting we were able to select the TV system for either NTSC (the standard in the Western Hemisphere ) or PAL (the standard for Europe ). But for the custom installer, it's another potential hazard that could be inadvertently incorrectly implemented by a customer, which can then result in a problem, resulting in a phone call from your customer. When switched to PAL on a US TV, the OSD will blink and roll frantically. Knowing this ahead of time may save you the service call if your too busy to charge $$ for something this simple to fix.

The Halo C 1 and C 2 provided just one set global speaker settings. This became problematic when switching between SACD and DVD-Audio as the subwoofer output levels can be drastically different on many, if not all universal DVD players. Combine this issue with the fact that many universal DVD players still did not offer bass management or digital delay compensation for SACD or DVD-Audio. It makes you wonder when we will see the day of an all in one inclusion proprietary cable design with all manufacturers.

If you've experienced movie sound tracks where the voices from the center channel were difficult to hear, or if the surrounds just didn't have enough finesse to impress your friends, fear not because the Halos had the solution. When it came to adjusting speaker level volumes, the C 1 and C 2 offered more than their share of methods. Independent yet again of the auto-calibration and global volumes, and independent of the five Preset volumes (for center, surrounds and subwoofer), the Halos provided speaker level channel trims on-the-fly. These settings were easily accessible on the remote control in the same section as the adjustments for treble and bass settings, which by the way could also be altered on-the-fly. To me, this indicated that the Halos could be adjusted and configured for any situation, environment or source. It was unfortunate however that the On-The-Fly speaker level control could not be stored for each input.

Parasound Halos did offer yet another atypical feature not found in most other Home Theater Controllers; Passive Video Pass-Through. This unique feature allowed video from your sources to be viewed on the Display WITHOUT the Processor being turned on. I found this to be especially useful when I wanted to watch my satellite or DVD without the entire system being blasted throughout the living room. I'm sure you are aware of the times that the kids want to watch a movie, and you're working on something else and don't want them to mess with the processor. Well, now you can have them watch that DVD without even turning the Halos on.

Unfortunately the Halos were not equipped with video up-conversion making the number of connections from sources to the monitor a bit more complex. There are many new receivers hitting the market this year that will offer video up-conversion with 100-MHz bandwidth for transparent video throughput, but when the Halos were designed two years ago, this was not really a common feature. Without this feature, we had to switch inputs on our monitor in order to view different sources which may not be considered as problematic to most users. Our workaround for the On-Screen Menu was to use our projectors picture-in-picture mode. Most monitors sold today have picture-in-picture including the Sony KP-57WV600 which was used in Reference System 2 . We simply selected the "twin" mode on our Monitor and scaled it to the size that provided optimal viewing from our listening location as seen in the pictures below.

Picture-in-Picture controls

The Halos did come with four coaxial and four optical audio digital inputs along with one coaxial and one optical digital audio output. But the Halos did not offer HDMI, DVI, or 1394 IEEE inputs and outputs. It's not that Parasound didn't consider HDMI or DVD connections it's more that they were not commonplace 2+ years ago when the Halos were designed and released. But as you are aware from our 2004 CES Coverage , there are a number of products being released as now, which will have at least one of these connections or a proprietary connection. As for IEEE, again many other products offered this IEEE around the same time as the Halos, however, they did no good. For example, the IEEE is a daisy chain and most products offering this connection type typically only include one IEEE and not two (one in and one out). Without the two IEEEs on the A/V Controller, it is not possible to pass the signal from your source, through your processor to your display without breaking the daisy chain.

I was very surprised when I read through the manual and found that the Halos could also be set up via a Windows based software program which could be downloaded directly from Parasound's website. Using this software allowed us to store our settings remotely on a PC, just in case there was a memory glitch in the Halo, or the wife or daughter messed up my original settings. Connection to the PC was done with ease using a standard RS-232 which is another valuable feature not only for users, but custom installers. This software allowed all setup information to be stored into a Laptop. This way in the event of a catastrophic failure (which usually occurs when customer pushes the wrong button), you're fully armed and operational with all original settings in just one quick download from the PC to the Halos and thereby solving the problem.

This section will not ponder on all the details for setting up the Halos which were covered adequately in the appropriate User Manuals. Instead, we will focus on a few of the highlights regarding the configurability and set up features of the Halos along with our experience with actual operations. To begin with, both Halos offered an On-Screen Menu that was easy to navigate through and configure either by front panel or remote. The C 1 included a 5" front panel display that mimicked the On-Screen Menu. I could imagine this display coming in quite handy when configuring the C 1 in a room with a front projector as it would allow the operator to fully calibrate and configure the C 1 without having the front projector blaring down upon them from behind.

Both Halos offered an extremely useful, much desirable feature which we haven't seen on many other processor/controllers; that being automatic speaker level and distance calibration.

For several months I lavished in the sounds of my favorite CD's. I listed just a few of my audition CD's which I felt were perfect for testing performance in two channel digital and also DSP modes. Since Reference System 2 included bass cable speakers ( Canton Karat Reference 2 DC ), I conducted most of my stereo CD auditions without the subwoofer in the comfort of my listening chair. In stereo mode the Halos were able to present tremendous detail and imaging without sounding mechanical. I listened for hours on end to Marillion, Steely Dan, Cowboy Junkies, Mark Johnson and a host of other CDs. In all cases, I was quite impressed with the way the Halos performed and processed the digital material presented to them. There were times however, that I thought the bass wasn't quite as pronounced as I liked and so I boosted it via the "bass" adjustment which was easily accessible on the remote. And why not? I was in digital domain anyway so I didn't feel that using the digital bass management would have adverse effects on the sound quality.

My all time favorite two channel CD for listening to stereo and all DSP modes for that matter, was Mark Johnson's first solo CD. The first two songs, "Overture" and "Exit 33" are enough to get the bass slapping and the midrange fired up on any system. There's so much happening in these songs starting with smoking brass guitar to rhythmic drums and explosive percussions that on the right equipment it should prove to be more than enough to the shake the room with and without the sub. Luckily the Halos partnered with Parasound's A 51 and A 21 amplifiers were indeed the right equipment for bringing down the house . During my DSP modes audition, I was impressed by how well the Natural, Party, Club and Concert modes really sounded. The fact that the Halos provided reverb adjustments for Club and Concert modes really helped me control the non-tempered echo in my reflective room. I changed the reverb settings from "Dry" to "Wet" and the net effect was enough for me to appreciate and acknowledge. For my room, I left both on "Dry." I then implemented the same CD's with PLII Music and Neo:6 music. Once again, I was pleased to find useful adjustments for PLII which included "Panorama," "Center Width" and "Dimension" along with adjustment for Neo:6 which included "Center Image." These adjustments were extremely useful for creating a "wrap-around" effect from the front channels to all other channels. Once again, I was able to set them to an optimal setting for the room which houses Reference System 2.

Since Reference System 2 was also my "live-in" system, most of my listening experience was with Digital Satellite as I listened to hours on end of Digital Radio Stations with a variety of music formats ranging from Jazz, to New Age, to Classic Rock. The only stations I didn't listen to were rap and country. Unlike my stereo audition with CDs where I did not use a subwoofer, much of my Satellite Radio listening was done in two-channel with the sub as I spent most of that time in the kitchen or surrounding rooms, either cooking or doing house work, and so I preferred a boost. This type of audition helped me better understand the depth of sound that the Halos were able to produce since I was out of the "sweat spot" most of the time. I was impressed with the Halos performance and dynamic reproduction of the music as the bass from the subwoofer sounded seamless when coupled with the mains. This was likely attributed to the auto-calibration which we have shown to be very accurate with the exception of the subwoofer on the C 2. When I actually had the time to sit in the "sweat spot" and listen to Digital Satellite, it too sounded impressive. Again, the Halos demonstrated they were not mechanical tinny sounding processors, but formidable contenders in a very competitive market.

The current firmware included in our C 1 and C 2 did not provide PLIIx. Our understanding from speaking with Parasound was that they will be updating the firmware soon to include this mode, but they have not yet provided an anticipated date for its release. We will likely amend this article once we've experienced PLIIx on these processors. For our auditions I listened to many of my favorite shows and a few good movies on HBO. Most of them were through TiVo as I typically didn't have the time to watch them when they were actually aired I'm convinced TiVo is the invention of our time as it streamlines the TV watching process by allowing us to skip commercials and blow through the bad parts while speeding to the good parts. Most TV and Movies I listened to from Satellite were done with PLII:Movie and Neo6:Movie. On the Halo C 2, I was impressed indeed with the presentation using these modes. Both the Halo C1 and C2 were a treat to listen to during my evening relaxation time with the family in front of the proverbial boob-tube(s).