ParasoundJC 3 usedParasound JC 3  Best Phono VALUE !Parasound’s JC 3 Phono Preamplifier: As new complete in factory double boxes, manual in 9/10 condition. The nicest phono section I know of anywhere near this price. ...1550.00

Parasound JC 3 Best Phono VALUE !

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davidamb 

member since February 2006

Weinhart Design The AV Experts  Verified Dealer

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Condition
9/10
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Ships fromLos Angeles, CA, 90077
Ships toUnited States and Canada
Package dimensionsunspecified
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Shipping costSpecified after purchase
Original accessoriesBox
AverageResearch Pricing


Parasound’s JC 3 Phono Preamplifier:


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

                   The nicest phono section I know of anywhere near this price.

                                              Serial #79108-420-1125-01008

                                                   No low offers considered.

                                                My highest recommendations !

                                 One owner trade in on the Parasound JC-3+.

 We a Parasound dealer call us were are having a BIG Winter SALE on new items like the Halo JC3+ in your choice of Silver or Black only priced on the phone & are interested in most trade in's like the first version JC-3 on virtually anything or a new JC-3+.

If you have a JC-3 and interested in up grading to the JC-3+ (call for pricing on the JC-3+) and or have any Audio questions, call David @ 310-9027-2260 West Coast Time 10AM - 10PM.

It is best to call me as we are a Parasound dealer and can go over all of your BEST  options in Parasound Products.

From Tone Audio on line:

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


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 and please visit our web site www.weinhartdesign.com

We
are always interested in purchasing quality Audio and Video items, LP

collections, specialists buying Audio Estates and most quality trades
are welcomed.

All sales out of California are State Sales Tax exempt. California State Sales Tax of 9% applies 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 and also makes shipping to addresses other than

billing OK.

VISA, MC and Papal are gladly accepted within the U.S. and Canada as long as the charge is approved and were shipping to the BILLING ADDRESS and shipping to the billing address on record and adds a 3% fee to cover costs.

Please
call me directly in my world class showroom in Los Angeles weekdays

from 11-4PM @ 310-472-8880 or on my cell including weekends from 10-10PM

at 310-927-2260 and I can answer your questions and help you with all of
your new and pre owned needs.


  Making better Sound

 One system at at a time,

 

David Weinhart
Weinhart Design, Inc.
President & CEO

The Audio and Video Expert
e: [email protected]
www.weinhartdesign.com

2337 Roscomare Road, Studio #1
Los Angeles, California 90077

Showroom) 310-472-8880
Cell) 310-927-2260


Questions for the seller
Is this jc3 or jc3 plus
This is the JC three the previous version of the JC 3+. This one is as new factory complete and the cleanest one you will find at my price is firm however, I am having a sale and if you are not dealing with the Parasound dealer currently and I would not be interfering I have a very compelling price more but very share on the highway improve JC 3+ from an authorized Parasound dealer. Please check out my website and store online at : www.weinhartdesign.com We do not price online we both have questions if interested please call me I can be reached in Los Angeles anytime seven days a week from 10 AM to 10 PM text or call 310-927-2260. Making better sound one system at a time, David Weinhart Owner Weinhart design 🎶🎵The audio expert🎵🎶

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