“Wish it had inputs for more than one turntable, but I liked it so much I bought a second one for the other turntable. Well played, Parasound! Other than that, it would be nice if the impedance could be set beyond 550, my Soundsmith cart would like closer to 1000. Still thrilled with it and don't regret the purchase. Since I can't give half a star, it gets 5, but 4.5 would be what I would give it if decimals were allowed.”
“Coming from my Pro-Ject Phono Box RS and also a Pro-Ject Phono Box DS2, the JC3+ has a much larger soundstage, a touch more depth and more resolution. The soundstage is even wider using the balanced output. Balanced mode does pull vocals back a bit further than using rca though. For rock, I tend to like using the rca outputs (rca and xlr can be connected simultaneously for easy comparisons). Having said all this, all that openness & resolution can make records, that you previously thought sounded good, sound brighter and also less intimate, if tha's what you like.
I wouldn't use this phono pre with a bright or lean cartridge for these reasons. I'm using a Sumiko Starling and when used with the JC3+, I have to load it down to about 75-100 ohms max to tame the highs. More than 100 ohms is recommended for the Starling. Still sounds great, but very little room for error. Vta, sra, vtf, azimuth are all set correctly. Outside of soundstaging and overall resolution, the Pro-jects are not embarrassed, especially the Phono RS. I's bass is just as slamming and midrange Is right there too.”
“I purchased the JC 3+ based on reviews from periodicals. This phono preamp is amazing. The details in vinyl records are suddenly found! I love jazz, classical, classic rock and even some contemporary artists like Cold Play. The JC 3+ excels with them all. Details and layers just pop out. Highs, mids and lows are all there in a wonderfully balanced sound stage. Equipment set up includes VPI Scout turntable with 2M Black cartridge, Yamaha receiver and Klipsch Reference speakers. RCA connects are Kimber Kable Silver Streaks.”
“I just upgraded from the PS GCPH to the Parasound and couldn't be happier. Using with a Denon DL103 anniversary edition MC cartridge which I favor for musicality. The Parasound offers a ton of gain, but in my sytem which is all ARC it is completely silent. The quality of the sound is wonderful. The soundstage is deeper and wider than with my GCPH and the presentation is more detailed. Listening to this unit really puts a smile on my face.”
“Listening for one week now and have tried it with the Lyra Kleos and Hana SH and both sound amazing. Tonally, to my ear, this preamp is spot-on with very good high frequency extension and deep, solid bass. The mid-band is detailed and vocals sound exceptionally realistic. For under $3,000 I think this is as good as you can get especially considering all the options like variable loading, 12v trigger, inverted polarity, balanced outputs, etc. If you are considering this purchase, just buy it and you will be very happy.”
“Purchased the JC3+ without hearing it based on reviews in both Stereophile and Absolute Sound. At any rate the jump in sound quality from my Graham Slee phono pre with my Dynavector MC cartridge was amazing but when I then moved to the Ortofon Cadenza Black the transformation was incredible. A good friend with similar level high end system was over for a listening session and he too was astounded at the difference not only the cartridge made but the JC3+ as well. I feel the JC3 is well worth the price and will be the last phono stage I purchase.”
