John Curl Superstar
A power amp that changes lives
Why are Parasound’s top-flight products emblazoned with a ‘JC’?
Imagine owning an amplifier whose circuit traces its heritage back to the Grateful Dead’s legendary Wall of Sound PA. A circuit designed by someone who was at the forefront of solid-state technology and understands transistors down to the die, doping, and silicon-layer level. Someone quoted in audio engineering textbooks, but whose designs were considered extreme by engineers still versed in vacuum tube technology. Read the full story
A Look Inside Parasound's Future
Both David Sheriff, CEO of Parasound, and Darren Myers, VP of R&D, are relatively new at the company, and mark a new direction for the brand, so naturally we asked what was coming up for Parasound. David grinned apologetically and said that he plans to be more tight-lipped about upcoming products than in Parasound's past, but can say that nearly half the budget for the company is allocated to R&D. "There is massive investment behind the scenes. We expect to come out with some eye-popping stuff, but when we're ready."
Darren assured us that the plan is to expand the company's offerings, and not merely tweak current models. The flagship JC line is especially well-established given that there's little more that can be improved on such tried and tested designs that use the very best components.
"The most iconic element within the JC amps," says Darren, "is without a doubt the JFET input stage." It is a refinement of a design that John Curl first implemented when working on equipment for The Grateful Dead, including developing a solid-state mixing board that eventually tempted the band away from the tube designs they had previously preferred.
"John Curl became one of the world's experts on JFET devices before most engineers even knew what they were," says Darren.
This is the legacy, experience, and nuanced engineering that is celebrated with that golden "John Curl" signature on the front of all Parasound JC products. All you have to do is decide how far down the JC rabbit hole you want to go!
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