Well, Parasound oriented their presence at CEDIA towards the custom installer, so they weren't showcasing the JC-2. However, PMC speakers was using Parasound Halo products in their displays, so I went over and checked them out. On the home theater display, they were using the C2 and D3 for demo's, and over on their 2-channel display, they were using the JC-2 and D3.
This is the first time that I had actually heard the JC-2, or for that matter, the PMC speakers. Or perhaps to make the correct point, I did NOT hear either the JC-2 or PMC speakers. It was like they weren't even there--clear, un-colored sound. You couldn't hear any "flavor" or "coloring" from the system itself, it was just pure music.
Please excuse the picture quality, all I had for a camera was my cell phone. (cameras not allowed in CEDIA, but PMC let me snap these shots)
The D3 was hooked up to the JC-2 by a pair of balanced cables. The amps powering the big speakers you see on the ends are actually stacks of three different Bryston amps per speaker. I didn't think to ask at the show, and can't figure out what speakers those big ones are that were the main part of the demo, but I think they're some version of the BB5 XBD-A, made by PMC:
Oh, by the way... PMC says that the big speakers, amps, active crossovers, and cabling go for $95,000 a package. 8O And that doesn't even include the Parasound gear. We got to hear the smaller speakers you see in the pics too, which were great, (and even used a Parasound Zpre pre-amp!) but naturally those didn't compare to the first set. For those like me who didn't know, PMC has a firmly established position in the professional audio market, and brings their good technology down to us geeks in the commercial market.
Okay, okay, so you want to know how it sounded--freakin' incredible. :-y When the PMC rep first fired up the system, the left channel sounded a bit off. Not horrible, but not what I was expecting. He went over and checked, and some numbnut in the show had unplugged one of the amplifier cables. He plugged it back in, and voila! Nirvana. I can't really think of how to describe it without the standard cliches, but it was strong, clear, and tight. I'll say that it definitely was the finest sound I've ever heard using a Parasound product, including the noisy convention environment in which we did the test. I'd have to do some critical A/B testing in a controlled environment before I would make any sort of statement assessing whether it was the best 2-channel I've ever heard at ALL, but it's possible.
BTW... some wondering if PMC may be looking to switch from using Bryston products. Perhaps we could convince them to start using stacks of JC-1's for all their demo's? How cool would that be?
This is the first time that I had actually heard the JC-2, or for that matter, the PMC speakers. Or perhaps to make the correct point, I did NOT hear either the JC-2 or PMC speakers. It was like they weren't even there--clear, un-colored sound. You couldn't hear any "flavor" or "coloring" from the system itself, it was just pure music.
Please excuse the picture quality, all I had for a camera was my cell phone. (cameras not allowed in CEDIA, but PMC let me snap these shots)
The D3 was hooked up to the JC-2 by a pair of balanced cables. The amps powering the big speakers you see on the ends are actually stacks of three different Bryston amps per speaker. I didn't think to ask at the show, and can't figure out what speakers those big ones are that were the main part of the demo, but I think they're some version of the BB5 XBD-A, made by PMC:
Oh, by the way... PMC says that the big speakers, amps, active crossovers, and cabling go for $95,000 a package. 8O And that doesn't even include the Parasound gear. We got to hear the smaller speakers you see in the pics too, which were great, (and even used a Parasound Zpre pre-amp!) but naturally those didn't compare to the first set. For those like me who didn't know, PMC has a firmly established position in the professional audio market, and brings their good technology down to us geeks in the commercial market.
Okay, okay, so you want to know how it sounded--freakin' incredible. :-y When the PMC rep first fired up the system, the left channel sounded a bit off. Not horrible, but not what I was expecting. He went over and checked, and some numbnut in the show had unplugged one of the amplifier cables. He plugged it back in, and voila! Nirvana. I can't really think of how to describe it without the standard cliches, but it was strong, clear, and tight. I'll say that it definitely was the finest sound I've ever heard using a Parasound product, including the noisy convention environment in which we did the test. I'd have to do some critical A/B testing in a controlled environment before I would make any sort of statement assessing whether it was the best 2-channel I've ever heard at ALL, but it's possible.
BTW... some wondering if PMC may be looking to switch from using Bryston products. Perhaps we could convince them to start using stacks of JC-1's for all their demo's? How cool would that be?
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