My Standards are Krell FPB 350 MC/KTC line stage, VTL MB 750/VAC Renaissance, and Mark Levinson 335/380S. I will judge the Halo JC 1 against these units and I will tell you if it has a prayer.
Keep in mind that John Curl is the designer and Mr Thompson and Mr Crump have voiced the amp. It's my understanding they were contracted to help create the Halo JC 1, but they are not Parasound; they have little control over what Parasound might do to the design in the months ahead. If Parasound wants to use cheaper parts, will they consult CTC? And if one were to buy the Halo, it's not going to CTC if it needs repairing.
Parasound trails the leading edge of the high-end. Most audiophiles dreaming about the perfect amp or preamp don't conjure up Parasound products as their ideal. I certainly don't. I lust after equipment I can't possibly afford, and settle for equipment, while not sounding bad, that's cheaper. This equipment won't give most people a sonic epiphany.
I have heard the other Halo equipment. It is nicely made, attractive, and reasonably priced. When coupled with Monster Cable, the Veritas 2.4 loudspeaker, and a Sony SACD player, I was underwhelmed by the sound. The sonics were detailed and transparent with fairly good clarity, but the midrange lacked body, three-dimensional layering, and texture. The combination only produced average dynamics. What bothered me the most was the polite and reticent portrayal of the upper midrange and treble. It seemed to give, at best, a mid-hall perspective. This perspective might be fine for some, but for those wishing a more involving and exciting presentation, one that has greater immediacy, they will have to look elsewhere. Maybe it was the Veritas loudspeaker? It's hard to say. But I do know that I much prefer the Adcom GFA 5500/Conrad Johnson PV14LS combination, which can be had used for about $2,000. If the JC 1 sounds anything like its small amplifier counterpart, it won't do well in the long run.
