While providing top value is how the company cut its teeth, “budget” may not be the first word that pops into mind when Parasound equipment is mentioned today. With the evolution of the Halo line, developed by the celebrated audio engineer John Curl, Parasound now occupies a full shelf within the expensive high-end market. However, they still offer an entry-level priced phono preamplifier, the ZPhono, which fills the bill nicely for something that is compact and affordable. I pitted a ZPhono against some stiff competition, the trusty Cambridge Audio 640P, a widely applauded unit even if it is now getting a bit long in the tooth and has been replaced by other Cambridge units. The results were surprising. The ZPhono is a killer piece of kit and anyone looking for a budget phono preamp should have it on their must have list. Based on its sterling price vs. performance ratio, I have awarded it a Wall of Sound Gold Star.
