I was told by Music Direct that I will hear a significant different between the XRM and JC3 Jr. The blacks will be blacker and the detail of the music will be improved. So I ordered the JC3 Jr and will being doing a shootout between the NAD phono pre, the XRM and the JC3 Jr. I will report back here on what I found.I just ordered the XRM phono pre that I will be comparing to the phono pre in my NAD. I am thinking about getting the JC3 Jr as well and see if it makes any difference.
One thing to consider is the rest of your audio chain. If you have a $1,000 stereo, it may not allow you to hear all the details of a $5,000 stereo with better speakers, and amp. With the higher end stereo, you might be able to hear more of a difference with a better phono pre which might allow you to hear more details.
The 'expert' which this articles interviews works for McIntosh. Guess what brand comes out on top of all others? The underlying information may be correct as far as it goes, but biased pieces like this are all-to-pervasive on the internet. Yes, the McIntosh undoubtedly has excellent performance, but you are also paying a lot for the unnecessary packaging bling.Here is a solid article about phono pre's.
RIAA equalization is a form of pre-emphasis on recording and de-emphasis on playback. A recording is made with the low frequencies reduced and the high frequencies boosted, and on playback, the opposite occurs. The net result is a flat frequency response, but with attenuation of high-frequency noise such as hiss and clicks that arise from the recording medium. Reducing the low frequencies also limits the excursions the cutter needs to make when cutting a groove. Cheaper phono pre's of course will not perform as well as better phono pre's with cheaper parts.
What’s the Difference Between a $100 and a $2,000 Phono Preamp? | Gear Patrol
You already have a turntable and a pair of bookshelf speakers. How much should you spend on a phono preamp?www.gearpatrol.com
There was virtually nothing useful in that article. Did you link to the right one?Here is a solid article about phono pre's.
RIAA equalization is a form of pre-emphasis on recording and de-emphasis on playback. A recording is made with the low frequencies reduced and the high frequencies boosted, and on playback, the opposite occurs. The net result is a flat frequency response, but with attenuation of high-frequency noise such as hiss and clicks that arise from the recording medium. Reducing the low frequencies also limits the excursions the cutter needs to make when cutting a groove. Cheaper phono pre's of course will not perform as well as better phono pre's with cheaper parts.
What’s the Difference Between a $100 and a $2,000 Phono Preamp? | Gear Patrol
You already have a turntable and a pair of bookshelf speakers. How much should you spend on a phono preamp?www.gearpatrol.com
How did you level match and do quick switching for your comparison?I purchased the Parasound JC3 JR, and was surprised how similar the two sounded. The one difference in sound was the bass on the JC3 JR was tighter while on the XRM it is a little more rounded. I went back and forth A/B the two and really thought the JC3 Jr was not worth it for the difference. However, after more careful listening, I noticed the dynamics on the JC3 JR was what made the biggest difference. The accents and small details were brought forward. The front to back (depth) was improved on it as well. Once I noticed the difference, it was hard not to notice it when I went back to the XRM phono pre. So I decided to keep the JR and I am enjoying my records more with it.
I was told by Music Direct that I will hear a significant different between the XRM and JC3 Jr. The blacks will be blacker and the detail of the music will be improved.
The one difference in sound was the bass on the JC3 JR was tighter while on the XRM it is a little more rounded. I went back and forth...after more careful listening, I noticed the dynamics on the JC3 JR was what made the biggest difference. The accents and small details were brought forward. The front to back (depth) was improved on it as well.
Im sure some will still argue i am being tricked thinking it was better but that is your problem not mine.
So, it worked out just like you were told it would. Funny how that goes...
Maybe try with sight and level controls.
You are setting yourself up to BE tricked, but there's no way to actually know without more rigorous controls.