Brief Review: PH-8 vs Parasound JC-3 (and PH-5)

[BillK]

I've got all three of these units on hand right now and while the differences are subtle, they're significant in many ways.

The JC-3 is a very good unit at an absolutely incredible price point - $2350!

When compared to the PH-8, the JC-3 has noticeably better bass - it seems to go a little deeper and is a bit more convincing on tracks like Just a Little Lovin' as played from the 200g release of Shelby Lynne's album of the same name (Analogue Productions APP 041). Presentations are airy and fairly deep, with a lovely soundstage and overall a joy to listen to.

However the PH-8 reveals a greater sense of air and depth, and reveals a tone and depth to instruments that make them sound more like themselves, more musical, if you will.

For example, on I Only Want To Be With You from the same album, the sound of the drumstick on the closed hi-hat, was very "tick tick tick" through the JC-3, where through the PH-8 it was clearly a stick hitting a closed set of cymbals - you could hear each impact, the overtones of the cymbals and the fact that it was a real instrument as opposed to a drum machine somewhere.

Compared to my current PH-5, the PH-8 sounds very similar - for example the stick on the hi-hat sounded almost identical. But the difference was in the center of the soundstage - vocals I used to think sounded a bit congested on the PH-5 were revealed to instead be open and unconstrained on the PH-8 (and JC-3 for that matter.)

Playing Lover's Cross from an original copy of Jim Croce's Photographs and Memories (ABC Records ABCD-835) had always had Jim's voice centered but ever so slightly muffled through the PH-5 - something that turned out to be an artifact of the PH-5's presentation, not a fault of the recording or LP.

In short, the JC-3 is very, very good but seems to make my LPs sound like very, very best of class… CDs.

The PH-8, on the other hand, loses a bit in the low end but makes my LPs sound like… music, and ultimately that's what I'm looking for a phono stage to do.

Not in a euphonic way, mind you, but rather the PH-8 seems to recover more of what's there - there's simply more "there" there.

I could be happy with the JC-3 (arguably the price differential might be better spent on a new cartridge, and not having to ever worry about replacing tubes very much has its allure), but it was the PH-8 that made me interrupt even "background music" I put on to go sit in the sweet spot and just listen.

Tube euphonics? Better or more accurate design? Preference for the ARC house sound? I've no idea, all I know is that the PH-8 is very, very worth it.

The only thing stopping me from just buying the PH-8 is the (possibly painfully pricy ) desire to compare it to a Ref Phono 2 SE.

Ancillary Equipment:
Turntable: VPI Super Scoutmaster (Belt Drive) with Classic platter
Tonearm: VPI JMW Classic 3 (10.5")
Cartridge: Sumiko Blackbird, loaded at 47K

[cmalak]

Bill...thx for the comparo. The other thing you should keep in mind is that the PH-8 is much more flexible from a loading perspective. I recognize that the Blackbird is a high output (2.5mV) moving coil so you were running it through both phonos loaded at 47Kohhms but if you decide to go with another moving coil, the JC 3 only has 100ohm and 47Kohm loading, whereas the PH 8 has 47K, 1K, 500, 200 and 100 ohms, so should work with more cart options down the road. Just a thought to keep in mind.

[BillK]

Just in case people only read this thread, here's what eventually happened.

[prepress]

Hello, what preamp are you using?

[BillK]

Originally Posted by prepress

Hello, what preamp are you using?

Currently a Mark Levinson No. 380S.

[prepress]

Originally Posted by BillK

Currently a Mark Levinson No. 380S.

Ok. How would you characterize its sound? Is it warm, neutral, analytical? That would help me get a better grip on the comparison, especially the result with the JC-3.

[BillK]

Many people characterize the 380S as dark but I find it accurate with a very nice soundstage with a minimal degree of constriction compared to running devices directly into the amp.

It might also be ever so slightly dry, but I've been really happy with it to date and haven't heard anything better in my system… yet.

[prepress]

Originally Posted by BillK

Many people characterize the 380S as dark but I find it accurate with a very nice soundstage with a minimal degree of constriction compared to running devices directly into the amp.

It might also be ever so slightly dry, but I've been really happy with it to date and haven't heard anything better in my system… yet.

Okay. I have an ARC LS3 preamp and am using an Aragon 47k phono preamp with it. Replacing one or both isn't a certainty, but it's been on my mind lately. I was considering the JC-3, as it's the limit of what I'd spend if I make the move. For preamps, the Parasound JC-2, Bryston BP26 or Mac C48 were under consideration. I have no idea about the C48's phonostage, but my amps are MC501s, so I suppose that's something to consider also.