Parasound JC2-Bypass or Backert Labs Rhumba 1.3 or??? for Halo Jc5


Hi all , its come down to the two above and while the JC2 bypass is the safe bet, what I've reading up on about the Rhumba, has beyond peaked my curiosity but  it almost seems to good to be true as I've not come across anything negative about it but need contrasting opinions the get a better picture. The JC2 bypass however has been around and is what it is and I have a better picture knowing where it stands. The preamp of choice will be integrated into my multi/ch playback system (HT) and the JC2 has the advantage here of having two sets of balanced inputs at this price point. 

Anything else to consider ? Are the Bryston pre's ,Hegel P20 and Jeff Rowland something I shouldn't be overlooking?

 

Thanks for your time and thoughts.

jdub39

I had got a loaner JC2 a few years ago. Unfortunately there was an issue with it and so I cannot comment on it's true colors.

But I have the Rhumba 1.3 with my Parasound A21 amplifier and love what it does in my system. I have shared my thoughts on this preamp on multiple threads here. You can check out the Rhumba pics on my system page.

Have not tried the other brands you have mentioned - so cannot comment.

@milpai 

That's one killer setup you have there! I had wondered if you got to try a properly functioning JC2 but see you moved on, its great to hear the Rhumba works well with Parasound, did you need to set the gain on each a specific way or just plug and play?

@jdub39 

Thanks for the kind words. I did not get to try a properly functioning JC2. The issue with the JC2 I got was that the gain was somehow very high - at least that was what I was told by the parent firm.

As for the Rhumba - you do not have to adjust any gain. It is just plug and play. And of course you can try different 12AU7 tubes that you like, which are easily accessed through the cover on the top.