From their website:
Privately owned in the U.S., Parasound was founded in 1981 and specializes in providing affordable audio components for high-end audiophiles, home theater enthusiasts, and for custom audio/video systems designers.
"We take listening very seriously," says Richard Schram, the president and founder of Parasound. "If I didn't listen to the products we sold, or if John Curl, our legendary chief circuit designer, didn't listen to the products he designed, then we would have never won the respect of hundreds of dealers, the praise of most of the world's audio reviewers, and the earned loyalty of many thousands of critical listeners who have chosen Parasound products for their own."
Sound quality is the key element for John Curl. As one of the most respected circuit designers of our time and Parasound's curmudgeonly curator of sound quality, he insists on using the finest components and a rugged chassis design for his conservative, but ideally balanced circuits. As a designer, Curl has left a trail of landmark hardware across the audio industry ... the classic Mark Levinson JC-2, the SOTA head amplifier, and the amazing Vendetta preamplifier. He has also written definitive articles on circuit design and the influence of capacitor design on sound quality.
One of Parasound's best known critical listeners is Michael Tilson Thomas, the acclaimed conductor of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. Thomas, who has the unique perspective of listening to live music from the "best seat in the house," uses Parasound equipment at home. "I find it amazing to listen to a recording of one of our performances on my home system," says Thomas, "and to hear details I never heard at the podium ... it is remarkable."
Richard Schram is a life-long audiophile and a regular concert and operagoer. He started Parasound when he saw a clear need for high-end sound quality at much more reasonable prices than typical high-end products.
"The high-end were offering gold plated quality at solid gold prices," says Schram. "I thought we could do it better, and we did."
