All
Parasound
Website:https://parasound.com/
Est. year: 1981
Location: USA
Parasound is an American electronics company founded by Richard Schram in September 1981 in the San Francisco Bay Area.It builds stereo and home theatre amplifiers, preamplifiers, processors and DACs, and its most prominent line is Halo, whose flagship pieces were designed by John Curl. The brand has always aimed at the space between costly boutique gear and mass-market budget components, pairing American engineering with long-running overseas production.
Range & what it's known for
The range is split into two tiers. Halo is the upper line, built around the JC 1 mono power amplifier released in March 2003 and the JC 2 preamplifier, both carrying the initials of their designer. Below it sits NewClassic, where the Model 275 stereo power amplifier serves both music systems and home theatre racks. Around these the company has offered the Zdac v.2 converter and the C 1 and C 2 7.1 surround processors. Curl's link with the brand dates to 1988, when Schram met him on an airport bus in Tokyo, and in 1989 Parasound engaged him to design its power amplifiers. A stated policy shapes the catalogue - instead of churning out new models each season, Parasound keeps products in production for long cycles so that owners' investments hold their value.
Who owns it and where it's made
Schram ran the company privately for more than four decades. On December 8, 2022 he retired and sold Parasound to David Sheriff, an entrepreneur with some 30 years in manufacturing, distribution and supply-chain management, who said he planned to grow the brand worldwide. Design and engineering remain American, while production has been in Taiwan since the early 1980s through three contract manufacturers, one of which has built for Parasound for over three decades.
The lineup in this catalog
Here Parasound is represented by amplifiers and preamplifiers, with the current Halo pieces costing about USD 2,000 up to more than USD 10,000.
Who it's for
Parasound appeals to buyers of separates who value a company that keeps a model on sale for many years rather than replacing it quickly. Stereo and home theatre setups often begin with a NewClassic amplifier, and the Halo preamplifiers and Curl-designed power amplifiers are the higher tier within the same family. The C-series processors let owners build a multichannel system without leaving the brand.
Range & what it's known for
The range is split into two tiers. Halo is the upper line, built around the JC 1 mono power amplifier released in March 2003 and the JC 2 preamplifier, both carrying the initials of their designer. Below it sits NewClassic, where the Model 275 stereo power amplifier serves both music systems and home theatre racks. Around these the company has offered the Zdac v.2 converter and the C 1 and C 2 7.1 surround processors. Curl's link with the brand dates to 1988, when Schram met him on an airport bus in Tokyo, and in 1989 Parasound engaged him to design its power amplifiers. A stated policy shapes the catalogue - instead of churning out new models each season, Parasound keeps products in production for long cycles so that owners' investments hold their value.
Who owns it and where it's made
Schram ran the company privately for more than four decades. On December 8, 2022 he retired and sold Parasound to David Sheriff, an entrepreneur with some 30 years in manufacturing, distribution and supply-chain management, who said he planned to grow the brand worldwide. Design and engineering remain American, while production has been in Taiwan since the early 1980s through three contract manufacturers, one of which has built for Parasound for over three decades.
The lineup in this catalog
Here Parasound is represented by amplifiers and preamplifiers, with the current Halo pieces costing about USD 2,000 up to more than USD 10,000.
Who it's for
Parasound appeals to buyers of separates who value a company that keeps a model on sale for many years rather than replacing it quickly. Stereo and home theatre setups often begin with a NewClassic amplifier, and the Halo preamplifiers and Curl-designed power amplifiers are the higher tier within the same family. The C-series processors let owners build a multichannel system without leaving the brand.
