Bryston 7B SST vs. Parasound Halo JC 1 shootout...

I certainly didn't mean to suggest the Halo was a bad amp, as I have never heard it for myself. It seems to me with all the reviews I have read lately, I finish the article by hearing the reviewer say if I didn't already own "this," I would concider "that" in my line up of gear to demo. There always seems to be some qualifying remark. I know everything works differently with different gear, but there also is gear out there that is just plain bad and it seems reviewers are afraid to say it.

My favorite is, "In conclusion after my glowing review, at x dollars, the jimmy-who component pales in comparison to my personal reference fling-flong component at 7x dollars or even the whoopdee-doo component at 3x dollars...but still it is really, really, really, really good. You should go buy one (although I wouldn't)"

Mdomnick,

I don't mean to "get on your case" about the Halo. I understand what you are saying about reviewers and their reviews. It causes me to spend a lot of time analyzing a review; sometimes I have to read it six or more times to really understand the hidden meaning, if any.

I can still remember John Atkenson's review of the Thiel CS 6. He praised the speaker. Having been a former Thiel CS 3 owner, I had high expectations. Well, I listened to the CS 6 with a Mark Levinson 335, Mark Levinson 380S, Meridian 507, and Transparent Audio Super cables and interconnects. The sound was disappointing and bland. So much for Atkenson's recommendation.

The Halo is on my short list of amps to audition and to be used with the Magnepan 3.6/R. The other amps include the Classe CAM 350, Pass X250, Bryston 7B SST, and BAT VK500, just to name a few. I am a little skeptical myself about the Halo. I have heard the Halo A23 and found it to be harmonically thin, polite, and somewhat reticent. Not a bad amp for $850, but the Adcom GFA 5500 is much better for a $150 more.

Even if the Halo JC 1 is a great amp, I don't think it will be a commercial success. At $6,000, one could always buy the Pass X250, and for a thousand more, there is the CAM 350. Most people willing to spend that much money on an amp will opt for the Krell FPB 300CX, Mark Levinson 335, Plinius SA 250 Mark IV, or VTL MB 450. In Northern California, the Halo is carried by The Good Guys, not exactly Sound by Singer if you know what I mean.

Happy listening!

Artar1,

JA was criticised for publishing a review remarking on poor sound when he wasn't even certain that the speaker (CS1.6) was broken-in yet. That was half-ass and there is no excuse for it.

Denf,

I am familiar with the Bryston amps, since I own one and have auditioned the 7B-ST at home for a week. The 7B-SST is a fine amp but I wouldn't put it up against the JC-1 and I haven't even heard the JC-1. I base that solely on the reputations of Crump and Curl and the specs they have published on their website.

Even if the Halo JC 1 is a great amp, I don't think it will be a commercial success. At $6,000, one could always buy the Pass X250, and for a thousand more, there is the CAM 350. Most people willing to spend that much money on an amp will opt for the Krell FPB 300CX, Mark Levinson 335, Plinius SA 250 Mark IV, or VTL MB 450. In Northern California, the Halo is carried by The Good Guys, not exactly Sound by Singer if you know what I mean.

If I'll be allowed to put on my dealer hat for a moment (I can see all of you cringing), I strongly disagree. I've heard JC 1s up against Pass X600s, Atma-Sphere MA-2s, and Rowland Model 6s. Do I have to tell you which was better than all of these by a significant margin? But don't take my word for it - go check them out for yourself. You're in for a nice surprise. You can pay a lot more and not get performance as good.

I bought them as a consumer, having auditioned them extensively with my Sound Labs, and then I was very fortunate to become a dealer for them. I'm not Good Guys, in fact I only sell a very few products I own and believe in, Sound Lab being one of them, out of my home. The Parasound JC 1s deserve to be paired with the finest speakers and associated components yet show their capabilities with a wide range of equipment. Fremer and Atkinson's review was thorough and spot on. They don't dare say to skip those tall monoliths and go with the JC 1s, though.

Brian Walsh
Essential Audio
Barrington, IL