Parasound JC-1 with B&W Nautilus speakers?


Hello All,have any of you had the chance to listen to the JC-1 and B&W Nautilus speakers? I currently have B&W N802 for LR front, HTM1 Center, N804 Surround. My Pre is B&K Ref-50 and Amp is B&K Ref-200.5. I am looking to upgrade my system for better 2 channel performance. I am starting with the Amp first, 2 ch pre-amp with unity gain for HT bypass and then CD a high quality combo DVD/SACD/CD. I will keep my B&K equipment for HT use. I am considering the following amps; Levinson 436, Mcintosh MC602 or MC501, and Parasound JC-1. I have already auditioned the Mcintosh and Levinson in my home and will be getting the JC-1 this week from my local dealer to audition. Thanks for your input.
tfee
One thing you may not like about the JC-1's is their slightly forward in your face presentation. I auditioned em when I was looking for a pair of high quality monoblocks a few months back, definetly a great amp, much smoother than the old HCA3500(which I owned for a few months a few years back)with the same great bass definition.
Hey Ritten, yep the JC-1s are thin and in your face for the first thirty days of 24/7 music and calm down after that....You might want to take another listen to them with more time on the clock....I'm at five weeks of 24/7 music on my current pair and they are just starting to become dimensional after sweetening up at thirty days.....I found the stock HCA-3500 unlistenable and Curl made me get after it and we used it as the prototype for the JC-1 and actually sold a few of these as CTC BBQs.....I voiced the JC-1 for complete break-in and sounds like the dealers units didn't have the hours on them as fully broken in they are slightly sweet and very dimensional.........
Ive heard em well broken in(running straight at the dealership for over 2 months 24/7 and at my place for another week on demo), they are still forward and in your face like all Halo/Parasound amps with a warmer sounding midrange and top end basically.
Ritteri, that is interesting as sure hasn't been my take on them at all and have lived with various versions of prototypes and production units now for about four years.....CTC had nothing to do with the rest of the amps in Parasound's Halo line BTW.....
One mans "up front and in your face" is another mans laid back and dull sound, it's all relative. I thought the JC-1 where just right myself, front row seat but not at the expense of loss of dimensionality, soundstage depth, ease or transparency. My neighbor owns a pair of JC-1's, I've heard them many times and in a couple of showrooms and they have become a personal reference, favoring them over $20K+ spectral and Krell amps I heard as well in many ways, not to mention anything I've heard anywhere near or below their price. They are special amps. I heard the JC-1's with the ~$5K tower B&W's (can't recall the model number, not a big B&W fan) and the sound was phenomenal, best I've ever heard B&W's sound....