Parasound JC3 and Zesto Andros 1.2 phono preamps

Comparing the Parasound JC3 and Zesto Andros 1.2 phono preamps.

First up is the Parasound JC3. I really like this pre. The high end has great detail, air and separation. It has the crispness that I like with my horns. The midrange is smooth and full with a nice bottom end. Not to tight, yet not to flabby. The upright bass on Tsuyoshi Yamanoto's Midnight Sugar just snaps, the snare sizzles with the brushes and Tsuyoshi's piano notes hang on air.

Now the Zesto Andros 1.2 in the mix. This first thing I noticed is the gain isn't has high. I had to turn the volume up on my linestage. As has been my expience with tubes versus solid state, the tubes have take the edge off the top end. The highs are still there but a tad smoother. This may also explain what seems to be more mid bass and bottom end. I don't know if the pre has increase this or that it is just the perception of more bass because the high end isn't as pronounced. Still the Zesto is a fantastic phono pre. The music has great separation, imaging and depth. If your system is overly bright, this would really help to tame it. Now I am not saying there is less high end. The harshness or edginess found on some recordings in the upper registers has that edginess smoothed. This is more noticeable on bright tweeters but paired very well with my horns.