How would you compare Ayre to Parasound?

I've had the Parasound JC-1s and Ayre V-1XE amps in the same system. Both nice, but IMO, the Ayre was a better amp, and one of my favorite SS amps. Smoother and more texured. The Parasound was a little dry. I had multiple problems with the parasounds. I bought them new and both the dealer and parasound made good on each repair. I also had a wire come loose in the Ayre (which i also bought new) and they were quick to repair it. IMO the Ayre was a little more money, but worth it.

I've had a V-5xe in my system for about 5 years now and I too think the magic is missing (particularly in the lower region) however I'm reserving judgement until I can run in balanced mode. I've read in a few threads here that the Ayre should really be run in balanced mode to get the most out of it.

Before buying any Parasound product especially the JC1 amps read all the reviews about build issues ..Well documented in this forum.Given your short list..Ayre is a no brainer

Yes indeed missioncoonery...All Ayre equipment should be run balanced to hear what it is capable of. The single ended connection is only there for convenience. I also recommend you using balanced operation with phono into their preamp. Ayre amps are at the highest level of performance. Their service is impeccable should you need it. I have only used them for upgrades and modifications...my Ayre stuff is bulletproof. If you are going to use Vandersteens, you should know that the vast majority of Vandersteen users have their speakers connected to Ayre amps.

There are high end manufacturers who equal the service and civility of Ayre, but no one exceeds it.

I have no experience with Parasound, but I have heard all of the Ayre amps and they are all excellent within their respective price ranges. And yes, they need to be run in balanced mode for best performance. Depending on your taste, there are other amps you may like better, e.g., I prefer pure class A amps to AB amps, hence I opted for the Lamm M1.2 hybrids, which run in pure Class A and have one 6922 tube each, over the Ayre MX-Rs.

But Ayre's preamps are among a very few that are the best available at any price. I have the K-1xe, which is great, and have listened several times to the KX-R, which may be the best of the best right now.