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 |
The Good Guys decided not to carry the JC-1 due to pricing......This is the reason Essential Audio is now a dealer as is Audio Kinesis in New Orleans (Duke Lejeune) as this is the very first of the high end products from Halo which will be sold by small high end dealers that do more than sell boxes....The unit is already a commercial success as they ordered another hundred of them which will be built this month........I did the best I could with the sound of the unit and expect others will like it as well....It is the best we could do in a very high powered amplifier that was to be machine made......The pricing is about 1/3 what they would cost if built by hand here due to automated manufacture in Taiwan........Glad you didn't mention the other sacred cows layed to waste Brian as this sort of thing is not for a message board when you have a commerical interest.....Fine for hobbyists, but not for dealers..... |
Mr.Crump- for some who was "paid a flat amount as consultants to Parasound," you seem to be doing a lot of stumping for this product.
The report I got from my friend who heard your set-up at CES was not inspiring. You should have used your Rockports
for the demo.
Mr.Walsh- Fremer's endorsement is worthless.
Mr. Atkinson routinely measures equipment with poor performance/problems and still allows it to be rated Class A. Please don't hang your hat on these industry shills.
Wonder how many pairs Audioadvisor has sold. I'll wait until they go on sale in three months.
A hui hou aku. |
I'll defer your comments about the show exhibit to Bob Crump. When did your friend hear the system?
As for Fremer's review, take it as you will. I think a lot of people put more credibility in his opinions than others. Atkinson's measurements are out in the open for all to see. Parasound doesn't have anything to hide.
Buy your amps wherever you wish. I'm not a box mover, I take the time for demonstrations and for people who just want to stop by for a listen. If you are in the Chicago area or just passing through, please feel free to visit and relax over a cold one or a cup of coffee. My time is yours.
Brian Walsh
Essential Audio |
Kan813, advise your friend not to waste his time coming by our CES room in 2004 as it will be pretty much the same uninspiring set-up....About the only thing we will do differently next year is get there earlier as the digital system and AC filter take a couple days to behave and the speakers don't image at all until they have been plugged in for two to three days.....I was pleased with the sound from Friday night through the remainder of the show and it inspired me enough to want to do it again with Sound Lab.....No they don't have the "pop" of the Rockports, but they are cleaner with better low level detail and are extremely coherent..... |
