I purchased a used pair of Parasound JC1 in 2014 and used them for 10 years -- they were very good. I wouldn't discourage you from buying those at Parasound's current good price.
Those were so good, in fact, that I traded them in last year for a new pair of JC1+. The difference was immediately and noticeably better -- better bass, better highs, and a lot more headroom. Best upgrade I've ever made. From the reviews, my impression is that the JC1+ can drive nearly anything you connect them too.
Good luck.
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Sterophile review parasound jc 1
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The jc 1 is on sale 400watts 8 ohms 800 4 ohms 1.2 in 2 with 3kw in transients.25 watts class a.great amp for the money .on parasound classic website have older version jc 1 2700$ I bought a pair and love them.look at reviews out of 2000 or so it's great.
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i own parasound A21+ , w naim 272 pre, and totem forrest signature speakers. could not be happier! the parasound A21+ will be huge step up. the amp does everything well. good luck jm
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Again, don’t listen to some guy remitting biased opinion / exaggeration. Look at what he said before (see below), just opposite to what Stereophile has commented. A lot of people misinterpret brightness as being ’detailed,’ and I doubt some guys’ opinion is well-founded. Go look at the reliable reviews on ELS-X, no one has raise this issue. I also owned ML Aerius in 1996 for a short while and found no issue like this. I sold it because my 1 year-old son continuously trying to polk holes on the panel.
because the Rotel is already a pretty detailed amp in the treble.
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Saying that Parasound is a step down from Rotel is absolutely untrue—it’s an overgeneralized statement. To be fair, Parasound's high-end models are a step up from Rotel’s lower-end models, while Parasound's lower-end models are a step down from Rotel’s higher-end models. As a satisfied owner of several Parasound amps and preamps, along with many other users here, I can attest to this, supported by cross-references with reliable reviews from prestigious audio journals covering both brands.
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Don’t listen to someone’s semi-educated guess—especially if they have never owned or auditioned this particular model of Rotel.
Don’t listen to @lanx0003 who totally misses the point here. What he completely fails to realize is that the speakers just don’t possess the sound characteristics you’re looking for (as others have mentioned as well) so the amp is immaterial, but I think you’ve already realized that. I’ve listened to MLs with Bryston, Rotel, Arcam, and the result was always the same — they don’t have the bite/aggressiveness in portraying cymbals that you’re looking for and this is not a semi-educated guess but direct experience using high quality reference recordings. They just present cymbals in a different way — more diffuse and less focused. Not saying it’s better or worse as that’s a matter of personal taste, but an amp doesn’t change that.
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Don’t listen to someone’s semi-educated guess—especially if they have never owned or auditioned this particular model of Rotel. You need to do your due diligence. According to Stereophile:
But I’d be misleading you if I gave the impression that one would ultimately want to get by by using the Rotel RB 1080 to drive the Revels, or even the B&Ws. The 1080 was not the last word in soundstage openness or grain-free treble, and always retained a slightly withdrawn mid- to upper treble. Switching swiftly between power amps in less than a minute, it became apparent that amps such as the Simaudio W-5, the Bel Canto eVo, and the Sonic Frontiers Power-3 did not suffer from the 1080’s minor foibles in low-level micro-dynamics and treble reserve. Furthermore, those other amps ably demonstrated that the Revel and the B&W are capable of truly transparent treble, detailed and finely drawn, which the RB 1080 merely outlined. On Cyndee Peters’ "House of the Rising Sun" (Test CD 4, Opus3 CD 19420), the ultimate delicacy of the triangle and brushed cymbals eluded the Rotel but not the other three amps.
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It’s your speakers. I ran A23 mono blocks and tried each amp in stereo also. With SF Sonetto 8s - great high detail for the cymbals. Great low end extension too. Those speakers love power. An A21+ can drive anything. You can attenuate the power also I believe
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@milpai
I posted that. It was from an email I received from Parasound as a customer. I have a Parasound A23+ and like it very much. I recently upgraded to the Bryston but I still have the Parasound and plan to use it in another system. It was just information for interested readers. I have no idea why it was removed.
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I believe that @soix is correct and he is saving me time, money and frustration from chasing the unattainable with cables and components. if I must hear realistic ride cymbals, I need to sit in my car. If I want live sound, go crank up the PA system in the basement/backyard (I do prefer outdoor venues). I am just outside of the HOA and many of my neighbors enjoy the concerts. often stopping by to check out the band. (only to be disappoint it is just a recording). As for vocals and acoustic with an in the room presence, the ESL are believable. and they can play anything all day and not be fatiguing.
Thank you!
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I have ML ESLs, and I've used them with Rotel, Parasound, Conrad-Johnson Sonographe, some Chinese class D's, and Hafler. The ESL are extremely crisp and clean in the high end and the only amp that diminished that was the Parasound (it was a low end Parasound, though).
Every box speaker I've ever heard adds coloration to the sound of a snare drum or male voices, and the dome tweeters on them just don't match the transparency of the ML's.
I might suggest you raise the back end of your speakers so that the electrostatic panel is perpendicular to the floor. I think you'll find that the speakers character changes dramatically, and may be more of what you're looking for.
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I’ve had a great experience with my Rotel power amp putting out 200 WPC into 8 ohms and 350 into 4. Plenty of control for my Arendal 1723 towers that crave good clean power. Upgraded from a top of the line Denon putting out 140 WPC at 8 ohms in 2 channel Mode. I looked at a Parasound but passed. Your experience may differ. Suggest making sure you can return if necessary. I don’t think the manufacturer has that option available.
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Listening to Audio equipment is a funny thing. A person preference comes into
play, correct system matching, your own ability to hear well, etc. I have noticed that many audiophiles who have bought and sold many pieces of gear have found good results. Some have multiple systems that have been mixed and matched. To get good results, many factors have to align.
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just don't give enough of that... more than an educated guess.
Ok, I was trying to be nice but now I’ll just give it to you straight. Your speakers won’t give you what you’re looking for because they can’t. I worked for Magnolia for a bit and listened to a lotta ML speakers with my reference recordings, and they just don’t do what you want from them. You can put any amp or any other piece of equipment in there and you’ll still be disappointed. And that’s not a guess at all.
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You have great taste in music. Can you bypass the tube pre-amp to see if that might be the culprit?
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You've mentioned a lot of qualities that I like in a speaker. I thought the Sequel II were great and I'm sure the technology is even better now.
I was going to ask about tube rolling, but I see that your preamp takes 10 tubes. That could get really expensive.
I'm guessing that you've experimented with cables?
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@sls883 yes, they are more directional than I expected and I need to adjust toe in if I am able to spend time in the chair. otherwise, I need to point them straighter for the sound stage. A review of these speakers should include "never bright or fatiguing, no sibilance (unless in the recording)" and even though they need to be aimed for that sweet spot, they disappear in the room. not a point source.
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You've probably done this, but have you played with speaker placement and toe-in?
I haven't heard Martin Logan electrostatic speakers for a long time. I think they were Sequel IIs. I loved the sound, but off axis listening wasn't their strong suit and I was looking for something that would work for home theatre. Some listeners off axis.
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@soix just don't give enough of that... more than an educated guess. me explaining to a drummer what a live kit sounds like. yes sticks on sticks and rim shots too. many Marshall Tucker recordings have that steady ride. Just heard one outside on my Yamaha PA while mowing the lawn. There are days when I wish it was easy to swap in the motion60.
Thanks for the replies, doesn't sound like an A21+ is going to alter the sound as I am hoping an amp would. The ML definitely check many boxes, and it would take a large expenditure to replace them with something that out performs them. Next speaker will have a Ti or Be tweeter. maybe back to a ribbon.
I wonder if EQ could coax a little more out of the ESL. I'm 61 and didn't exactly live to preserve my hearing. it too could use a boost :( again, thank you for confirming what I am hearing.
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I don’t think it’s the amp, I think it’s the speakers you’re hearing. My friend has Martin Logans and the treble is anything but “crisp” sounding like that which you can get from a dynamic tweeter. It’s laid back and mellow, and I think that’s what you’re hearing and doubt an amp will fix that because the Rotel is already a pretty detailed amp in the treble. If anything the A21+ will likely be a step in the wrong direction as their house sound tends to the warmer side. As a drummer I need to hear cymbal detail including the dynamic of the stick hitting the cymbal if it’s in the recording, and the Martin Logans I’ve heard just don’t give me enough of that. They do other things really well, but that’s an area where they just don’t fit for me and may be what you’re experiencing too. Just a semi-educated guess FWIW.
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Parasound is having a sale on siver. Audiogon moderator just removed the post.
I read that post. Sounded like an advertisement and I expected it to be removed. Strange thing that the poster was using a Bryston amplifier, and posting Parasound.
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midway down the home page for parasound. not sure if we can post URLs. look for "Silver Parasound Model Pricing Update" posted Mar 12, 2025
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@dukebdevil who is having this sale? i dont see it on the parasound site.
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@soix I may be looking for something the speakers don't have? when reading about electrostatics, I expected that speed to come out as a crisper sound. I listen to mostly live- Dead, jam bands, blues and new grass. in the live experience. drums and cymbals are tight, they don't sound like thwacking on a cardboard box, cymbals ring and crash. I previously had B&W 683 towers, followed by ML 60Xti. dynamic drivers. my car has Focal separates- the inverted dome titanium next to a windshield is incredible for ride cymbals
from the non ESL speakers, I know the warmth of Adcom, the Rotel at 200w was a step up in control. a 160w Perreaux was cool. I also had a rogue cronus magnum iii that I tried when my CJ PV-12 needed too many repairs. Pretty certain that thw weakness in the rogue was the preamp. even Rogue said the RP-1 would be noticeable improvement. I did enjoy it, but it was time for achange. the Rotel I had in storage. I traded in the Rogue for the Vacuum HE1 MK3 (super clear, all balanced).
I like these ESL over the box speakers for their continuous soundstage. although a bit surprised by the narrowness of the sweet spot. not beaming, but can definitely tell when not on it. unfortunately, no good listening room in this house so no flexibility to optimize placement or room treatment. long 30' and narrow 13' room with picture window on one side and stone fireplace on the other where first reflection hits. and barely 3 ' from front of speaker to the wall.
punch from an electrostatic? I am happy with the bass response, I have a total of 6@8" drivers (two per ESL and two in the SVS micro).
I admit- went to a show and the big room had Neolith with two huge parasound monos. best sound I have heard. it was just such a relaxed presentation (vs strained) sounded very natural. I then bought what I could afford.
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What specific improvements are you looking for?
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I owned a Parasound A21+ to drive electrostatic speakers and was thinking of selling the speakers until luckily a potential buyer wanted to audition them with his amp. Suddenly I realized it was my amp. The parasound, and most high power amps, in my experience, does not perform well at low power.
The Pass and Coda you mention are in another class. I would expect the parasound to be a step down from your Rotel.
That is just my experience with one amp. Could have been made on a Monday I guess.
Your ML has active bass and doesn’t need a lot of power to drive it.
Jerry
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