Parasound’s JC 3 Silver Phono Pre Amplifier :

As new complete in factory double boxes, manual in 9/10 condition.

One of the nicest phono section I know of anywhere near this price
but... call me about the remarkable best $1,500 phono section I know of
the JC-3Jr ((( ONE IN BLACK IN STOCK NEW / call for pricing can
ship now ))) or new improved JC-3+ both being great options if your not
being supported by an authorized Parasound Dealer call David the Audio
Expert to see how we can help you make better sound...

Also please note: we are a authorized Parasound Dealer and as such also offer the new best in class Parasound JC-3+ and JC-3 Jr new lets speak  if you are not being supported by another dealer and offer very nice trade ins‼️

No low offers considered but highly recommend call David see information below.

If you aren’t old enough to know about John Curl, suffice it to say

that he was responsible for more than a handful of legendary designs and

one of the world’s greatest phonostages, the Vendetta Research—a

product still held in great esteem by many audiophiles. Don’t believe

me? Try and find a used one. I still regret selling mine from the early

90s; it’s like that vintage sports car you always wish you still had.

And Curl hasn’t stopped to rest on his accolades, instead continuing to

work on interesting designs, many of them available as Parasound

products.

Thanks to his association with Parasound, Curl’s designs take

advantage of Parasound’s economies of scale. His latest attempt, the JC

3, doesn’t cost as much as it might if it were, say, a boutique product.

At $2,350, the JC 3 is by no means an entry-level phonostage. Contrary

to the size suggested by the photographs, the actual unit is larger than

you might expect and takes up a full shelf on an audio rack.

Opening the case reveals two aluminum boxes, each marked “Single

Channel Phono Stage.” The JC 3 does not utilize hand picked FET’s like

the original Vendetta, relying instead on op amps.  Those pooh – poohing

this approach need look no further than the excellent ASR phono stages

for vindication.  Richard Schram of Parasound put it in perspective,

“We’ve used the IC’s with other devices in a unique way that Curl

developed to maximize their performance, operating more class A with

less noise, both measured and subjective.  A Vendetta today would cost

over $8,000 if it could be built at all – there are no FET’s made today

that are as quiet as the ones used in the original.”

While aural memory is tough to maintain for minutes let alone hours,

quietness is the one thing I remember about the Vendetta. (At the time, I

was using the legendary Audio Research SP-10 mk.2 preamplifier, which

had one of the best phonostages of its day. With vinyl on the way out

the door, it seemed pretty wacky to spend almost $2,000 on a phonostage.

Yet it made a major difference in my system’s presentation.)

With only three loading options, all from the rear panel, the JC 3

easily integrates into any system. There’s a pair of RCA jacks for a

single input and a pair of RCA and XLRs for the output. The front panel

sports a power button and a mono button, which will thrill those with

more than a few mono records in their collection.

The Sound:

Today, $2,000 won’t buy a pair of shoes in some places, so with that

thought in mind, the JC 3 is already remarkable. It shares the

ultra-quiet presentation of its older sibling as well as an expansive

soundscape. And yes, the JC 3’s tidy layout and shielded amplification

modules significantly contribute to the final result.

I didn’t start serious listening tests until about 100 hours of

signal had passed through the unit. Once the break-in period concluded, I

was immediately impressed. Having logged countless hours with the AVID

Volvere SP/Triplanar/Denon DL-103R combination (which just happens to

sound its best when loaded at 100 ohms) with numerous phono

preamplifiers, I had this combination burned in my head. I admit: The

Denon is one of those rare cartridges that performs way better than its

modest $379 price tag suggests, and when good synergy is achieved, makes

for a spectacular sonic marriage.

Another combination with which I had excellent luck was the Shelter

501II mounted on an SME 309 arm, and fitted to the AVID Diva II SP.

Thanks to the 47k/high gain setting, the JC 3 also made an excellent

showing with my older Grado Statement moving iron cartridge. The latter

requires 47k loading, but only has an output of .5mv, like a moving coil

cartridge. It’s slightly on the warm side of the tonality scale, but

possesses great inner detail, a characteristic that perfectly mated with

the JC 3’s speed and low noise.

Since the Denon cartridge is always well suited to classic rock, I

loaded up on it like any 70s-loving, meat-eating male should. The drums

and plucky acoustic guitars in Dire Straits’ Communiqué

literally leapt out of the speakers in a way that I’ve never experienced

with a phono preamplifier at this price. Indeed, the Nagra BPS is the

only other $2,500 phono preamplifier I’ve experienced with such a level

of refinement. Yet its presentation doesn’t possess the JC 3’s size and

weight.

The JC 3’s lack of grain also became apparent after a few long

listening sessions, and was on par with that of higher-priced phono

preamplifiers. On some of my favorite acoustic-based tracks, I noticed

an unexpected tonal purity. Groove Note’s The Jung Trio,

rapidly becoming a warhorse in the TONEstudio, offers exquisite

renditions of violin and piano—deeming it essential for critical

listening sessions. The JC 3 passed the test easily, keeping the

instruments well separated and sounding as they should.

A quick comparison to two slightly more expensive phono preamplifiers

with vacuum tubes under the hood proceeded as I expected, with the ARC

PH6 and Red Wine Audio Ginevra (both reviewed in Issue 37) claiming a

bit more image depth and palpability. Neither was as dynamic or quiet,

yet the battery-powered Ginevra came very close.  The JC3 also had a

deeper, more powerful presentation in the lower register. The bass line

in Run-D.M.C.’s “Can You Rock it Like This” from King of Rock showed off more grunt than the two tube preamps could muster, offering up the kind of bass I actually felt through the JC 3.

While the JC 3 has “on board power conditioning” that will no doubt

aid many users, it nonetheless benefited from an upgraded power cord (a

Shunyata Python CX) and being plugged into the Running Springs Dmitri.

The effect was palpable, as if going from stock tubes to matched NOS

models in a tube preamplifier. So, if you invested in a high-quality

power line conditioner, don’t hesitate to plug the JC 3 into it.

Singular in Purpose:

The JC 3 offers high performance within a slightly narrow range of

parameters. For this writer, that’s a good thing. Another product at

this level that comes to mind is the excellent Ayre QB-9 DAC—hardly all

things to all people but, for those requiring only a USB input, a

superlative DAC for the price. The JC 3 takes a similar approach.

Provided you have a cartridge that works well with 100 or 47k loading,

the JC3 should check off all of the boxes on your must-have list. Even

at the $2,500 level, I’d rather have one input and excellent sound than

multiple inputs and functionality with average sound. Your requirements,

of course, may be different.

The JC 3 will make a $1,500 turntable/cartridge combination sound

much better than it has a right to, yet will keep pace with your

favorite $10,000 turntable package— making it a component with which you

can really grow. Having both RCA and XLR outputs should help this

phonostage survive multiple system upgrades, no matter what direction

you choose for your linestage.

If you are already heavily invested in something that requires

500–1000 ohm loading, move on. But if you are willing to first invest in

the JC 3 and then find a 100 ohm cartridge that you love, the JC 3

could be the last phono preamplifier that you need—unless you are buying

a megabucks analog front end.

High build quality with simple but solid casework from a company you

can trust and superlative sound make for excellence in our book. Hence, I

am happy to give the Parasound JC 3 a TONEAudio Exceptional Value Award

for 2011. Priced under $2,500, the unit is nothing short of a miracle.

Note: Watch for our follow-up article in the coming weeks. One of our

staffers still has their Vendetta, and it’s on its way to my office. It

will be interesting to compare and contrast the new and the old, with

all other variables eliminated.

Parasound JC 3 Phono Preamplifier

MSRP: $2,350

Feel free to call with questions, I
can be reached in my Los Angeles Audio & Video showroom weekdays
(11-4PM) 310-472-8880 or after hours and weekends (10-10) on my cell
310-927-2260 or e-mail me directly at: [email protected]

Contact:  David
Weinhart best to CALL with questions in Los Angeles Showroom from
11-4PM @ 310-472-8880 or my cell after hours and weekends from 10-10PM @
310-927-2260 or e-mail me directly at [email protected]     

For more information, visit my NEW & IMPROVED web site @ www.weinhartdesign.com for great deals!

Weinhart Design has
lots of other items new and used and if you’re in Los Angeles or
visiting please accept my invitation to experience our World Class Audio
Showroom (BY APPOINTMENT).

We are always
interested in purchasing quality Audio and Video items, ESTATES & LP
collections and most quality trades are welcome. 

All sales
out of California are California State Sales Tax exempt. California
9.5% State Sales Tax applies only for items picked up or shipped to a
California address. 

We accept payments by Bank Wire Transfers
without fees and is the only form of payment on all sales out of the
U.S. and Canada. We prefer this method of payment, which also makes
shipping to addresses other than billing agreeable. VISA, MasterCard and
Paypal are gladly accepted within the U.S. and Canada as long as the
charge is approved and shipping to the billing address on record and
adds 3% to cover costs. 

Please call me directly in my world
class showroom in Los Angeles weekdays 11-4PM @ 310-472-8880 or on my
cell including weekends from 10-10PM @ 310-927-2260 and I can answer
your questions and help you with all of your new and pre owned needs.

Please check out special items from this seller at:

Weinhart Design The AV Experts E-STORE

 Making Audio Systems better 

      one system at a time,

      David Weinhart 
    Weinhart Design, Inc. 
       President & CEO
e: [email protected] 
   www.weinhartdesign.com
 The Audio and Video Expert 
2337 Roscomare Road, Studio #1 
  Los Angeles, California 90077
    Showroom) 310-472-8880 
         Cell) 310-927-2260