I own a Levinson 436 and was thinking of buying a few more for home theater and stereo listening. I thought I would take a shot at the JC1 to see if it was a giant killer (half the price of Levinson). Here are the results of my shootout...
I did a big listening session last night doing A/B with Levinson 436 vs. Parasound JC1. Man... They are VERY close. To be honest it was tough finding differences. Some songs I preferred the Parasound. On others I preferred the Levinson. I would say they both do deep, articulate, controlled base. Very clean mid. The differences were in the treble. Now before I say this, understand that both are very clean and detailed. The Levinson was however, more laid back. Some would call it "darker". Some might prefer this. Some might not. I would also say the Levinson was a tad more sweet with absolutely no digital haze or harshness. The Parasound was a little more forward in the treble. In some cases, with the right song, this was preferred. Although extremely clear and detailed, I thought I heard very small amounts of haze or harshness. But it was very slight. The Levinson also seemed to have a fuller mid bass and I'm not sure if that is because the treble is laid back. I suspect, the Levinson is closer to neutral than the Parasound. I also suspect, that for long listening sessions, I would prefer the Levinson. But if you want something a little more exciting, the Parasound's might provide this. I checked Stereophile reviews of both products, and it looks like my conclusions are in line. For the price I can't see anyone going wrong with the JC-1 as it keeps up with the Levinson 436 no doubt. I also think the decision boils down to personal preference as well. I'll likely stick with the Levinson. It just had a little more sweetness. I also think it will be less fatiguing which I've learned to like over the years. The Parasound's were very exciting however and really did some magical things on many recordings.
Please keep in mind I have also owned an Ayre V1-XE that was inferior to both of these products.
I did a big listening session last night doing A/B with Levinson 436 vs. Parasound JC1. Man... They are VERY close. To be honest it was tough finding differences. Some songs I preferred the Parasound. On others I preferred the Levinson. I would say they both do deep, articulate, controlled base. Very clean mid. The differences were in the treble. Now before I say this, understand that both are very clean and detailed. The Levinson was however, more laid back. Some would call it "darker". Some might prefer this. Some might not. I would also say the Levinson was a tad more sweet with absolutely no digital haze or harshness. The Parasound was a little more forward in the treble. In some cases, with the right song, this was preferred. Although extremely clear and detailed, I thought I heard very small amounts of haze or harshness. But it was very slight. The Levinson also seemed to have a fuller mid bass and I'm not sure if that is because the treble is laid back. I suspect, the Levinson is closer to neutral than the Parasound. I also suspect, that for long listening sessions, I would prefer the Levinson. But if you want something a little more exciting, the Parasound's might provide this. I checked Stereophile reviews of both products, and it looks like my conclusions are in line. For the price I can't see anyone going wrong with the JC-1 as it keeps up with the Levinson 436 no doubt. I also think the decision boils down to personal preference as well. I'll likely stick with the Levinson. It just had a little more sweetness. I also think it will be less fatiguing which I've learned to like over the years. The Parasound's were very exciting however and really did some magical things on many recordings.
Please keep in mind I have also owned an Ayre V1-XE that was inferior to both of these products.