Parasound Zamp v.3 2 Channel Zone Amplifier

Powerful, versatile little amp

Sometime, someplace you'll probably need a compact, clean-sounding amp like Parasound's Zamp v.3 — a great choice for powering office, desktop, and other smaller-room systems.

In fact, the Zamp shines in a variety of listening situations. If you're just getting into separates, don't be afraid to get your feet wet with the Zamp. It delivers Parasound's signature transparent, neutral sound with surprising authority.

Feature-rich for its size

You can run the Zamp in stereo, or get two and run them both in bridged mono mode for more power. You can rack-mount this amp using the optional Parasound ZRK kit, or even mount two side by side in a single rack space. The RCA stereo loop out makes it easy to daisy-chain multiple amps together.

Stereo gain controls on the rear panel let you dial in the lowest noise floor for your system. There's also a three-way switch for choosing how you want to turn the Zamp on and off — "audio" for automatic power-up when the amplifier senses an audio signal, "manual" for front button control, and "12V" to trigger the power from other components or controllers via 12-volt back-panel connections.

Plugging in to the front-panel 3.5mm headphone output disables the speaker output, so you can listen without disturbing the peace. And the detachable 3-prong power cord means you can upgrade to a better cable to clean up power feeding the amp.

Parasound's most affordable amp

Parasound has been making the Zamp for over 20 years with very few changes. Their philosophy is that if you build it right the first time, there's no need to perpetually revise it.

The Zamp v.3 is a great example of Parasound's commitment to deliver extremely cost-effective, high-quality audio gear.

Product highlights:

• stereo or bridged mono operation
  
• 45 watts per channel into 8 ohms (20-20,000 Hz) at 0.07% THD
• 60 watts per channel into 4 ohms (20-20,000 Hz) at 0.1% THD
• 90 watts bridged mono into 8 ohms (20-20,000 Hz)
• fully discrete circuitry
  
• toroidal power transformer
  
• 3-way turn on option switch selects audio (audio signal), manual (front button), or 12V remote trigger
  
• rear-panel stereo gain control knobs
  

Connections:

• stereo RCA input
  
• stereo RCA loop out
  
• one pair of binding posts
  
• front-panel 3.5mm headphone jack
  
• 12V trigger loop
  

Other specs:

• frequency response: 5-100,000Hz (±3 dB)
  
• signal-to-noise ratio: 116 dB
  
• rack-mountable using optional ZRK kit
  
• two Zamp v.3s can be mounted in a single rack space side by side
• 8-5/8"W x 2-1/16"D x 11-9/16"D (1U rack height; 1/2-width)
  
• weight: 7 lbs.
  
• warranty: 2 years
  
• Our 60-day money-back guarantee
  
• MFR # Zamp v.3
  

What's in the box:

• Parasound Zamp v.3 owner's manual
  
• Stereo power amplifier
  
• 6' AC power cord
  
• Two 6' Mono 3.5mm-to-2.5mm cables
  
• Owner's Guide
  

Features & specs

Product Research

Features

2-Channel Zone Amplifier: The Parasound Zamp v.3 is a 2-channel zone amplifier that has been designed for single-room and multiroom applications. The Zamp v.3 can power a pair of 8-ohm or 4-ohm loudspeakers in Stereo mode.

• 8-Ohm: 45 watts x 2 @ 20-20kHz with 0.07% THD (both channels driven)
  
• 4-Ohm: 60 watts x 2 @ 20-20kHz with 0.07% THD (both channels driven)

Bridged Mode: Bridged operation configures the Left and Right channels to function as a single channel higher power amplifier to drive a single speaker. When the Zamp v.3 is in Bridged Mode it provides far greater power output than the sum of its left and right channels' power output. Please note that in bridged operation the minimum speaker impedance is 8 ohms (not 4 ohms). The Zamp V.3 is rated at 90 watts x 1 @ 20-20kHz (8-ohm) in bridged mode.

Note: See Owner's Guide for speaker wire connection and configuration in Bridged Mode.

Stereo Line-Level Input: The stereo RCA line level input connect to the Left and Right output jacks on your preamp, whole-house audio controller, or the zone outputs of your AV receiver.

Stereo Loop Out: These stereo RCA jacks enable the audio source to pass along or "daisy-chain" to and additional amplifier. Audio from the line level inputs are routed to the Loop Out jacks.

Binding Post Speaker Outputs: A set of binding-post terminals accepts bare speaker wire (up to 12AWG), pin-connectors, spade-lugs, or banana plugs (single or dual).

Headphone Jack: The front-panel 1/8" (3.5mm) headphone jack allows you to connect a set of headphones for private listening. Its high current headphone circuit will easily drive headphones with an impedance of 8-ohm or higher. The output to the speaker terminals is disconnected when you plug headphones into the Zamp v.3.

Channel Level Controls: You can adjust the gain for each channel to achieve the lowest noise and widest dynamic range in your system or installation. Start with the 12 o’clock mid-position of each knob on the Zamp v.3 and turn each one clockwise for higher gain or counter-clockwise for lower gain. The Level control shafts are very short, so they are less likely to be turned unintentionally.

Turn-On Options: The Turn On Options Switch determines whether both Zones turn on and off together or if each Zone turns on and off individually. There are three positions for this switch - Manual, Audio, or 12V.

• Manual: In Manual Turn-On mode, the Zamp v.3 must be turned on and off manually by pressing the Power button on its front-panel every time you wish to use your audio system.
  
• Audio: In Audio Turn-On mode, the Zamp v.3 will be turned on automatically when an audio signal is present at the L or R Input jacks. After the audio signal ceases, the amplifier will remain on for approximately 6 minutes before shutting off. This prevents unintended turn-off during pauses in your music or movies. The audio sensing circuit functions the same way whether you are using the Line Input jacks or the Speaker Level Input.
  
• 12V: In 12V Turn-On mode, the Zamp v.3 is turned on and off only when a +9 V to +12 V voltage signal is applied to the amplifier's 12V In jack (2.5mm) from your preamp, AV Receiver or whole house controller. When the external voltage ceases, the amp will turn off within a few seconds.

12V Loop Output: The Trigger Out jack (2.5mm) lets you loop or daisy-chain the incoming trigger voltage from one Zone to another Zone or from one Zone to an additional amplifier.

Indicator Lights: There are lights on the front-panel that indicate if there is a fault in the system or the operating temperature is too high.

• Channel Indicators: The left & right channel indicators will illuminate green when the Zamp v.3 is turned on and is operating normally. The left or right channel indicator will not light if the fault condition is only in that channel. Neither the left or right channel indicator will illuminate if there is a general fault or if the temperature is too high.
  
• Protect Indicator: The Protect indicator will illuminate red when the Zamp v.3 has experienced either an internal or external fault condition which has also activated its protection circuit to prevent internal damage. It is normal for Protect to flash on for 1 to 2 seconds after the unit is turned on.
  
• High-Temp Indicator: The Hi-Temp will illuminate red when the Zamp v.3 reaches its maximum safe operating temperature. If the heat persists the unit will soon shut itself off for protection and will remain off until the temperature drops. If Hi-Temp appears, the unit has been over-driven at too high a listening level and/or too low impedance speaker load or has not been provided with sufficient ventilation.
  

Optional Rack-Mount Kit: The optional Parasound ZRK rack mount kit (see Accessores Tab) allows you to mount a single Zamp v.3 or two Z Custom amplifiers in a 1U rack-space of a standard 19" equipment rack.