Richard Schram, who founded the audio equipment brand Parasound in 1981, has announced his retirement and the sale of his company to David Sheriff, an entrepreneur active in product growth and supply-chain management. Parasound manufactures audiophile-grade amplifiers and other components known for their exceptional build quality, value, and sonic fidelity. They are sold through a network of authorized high-end dealers and custom home system installers in the U.S. and in over 60 countries. Sheriff will take over operations immediately and has ambitious plans to grow the brand.
“When I look at all we have accomplished at Parasound over four decades,” said Schram, “I am proud that we have stayed true to our mission statement, Integrity Endures, and our day-to-day goal of providing affordable high-fidelity sound to the critical listener. I am grateful for the dedication of current and former staff, plus the magic touch of our legendary circuit designer, John Curl, which made all this possible. Through their efforts, we have earned an enviable reputation with audio enthusiasts and the audio press corps, with many awards and consistent high placement in recommended product lists. Less outwardly visible is our continuing commitment to superb pre-and-post sale support for dealers and customers alike as well as our excellent customer service and competent in-house product repair. More common are users who’ve been using the same Parasound amp for 10 or 20 years without a glitch. I’m also proud that our products have been chosen by notable recording engineers as reference components in the production of some legendary movies and music recordings.”
Schram continues, “I am excited that David’s vision for Parasound is aligned with Integrity Endures – and probably what I’d be doing if I weren’t ready to retire. David is a quick study. I am impressed with his plans to strengthen our business model and to take it beyond its current boundaries. The thought of relegating Parasound as a mere trophy logo under one of the audio conglomerates was never an option for me.”
David Sheriff comes to Parasound from a 30-year career running manufacturing and distribution companies and as a systems consultant. Since 2000 he has guided over 500 U.S. manufacturers to improve their businesses by streamlining processes, reducing risk in the supply chain, and substantially reducing time to market. Sheriff is a graduate of the US Air Force Academy and served as an A-10 pilot in the US and South Korea. Prescient to his future career, he was also Group Mobility Officer, tasked with ensuring smooth integration among AF transport, supply, and support functions.
“Parasound’s legacy of rock-solid build quality, classic design, exquisite sonic performance, and great bang-for-the-buck made this an opportunity that was too good to pass up,” said Sheriff. “Their achievements align with my supply-chain and sales-channel experience as we expand production capabilities and grow into new markets. This company and its extremely competent and customer-focused staff are ripe for tremendous growth.
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“Going forward,” adds Sheriff, “I look to continue the company’s outstanding legacy in design, product quality, and customer service. Parasound already dominates on price and quality, so we’ll be focusing on delivery capabilities not just in the US, but worldwide. We will invest in our partner network and social media platforms to make sure fans (and future fans) can get the information they need to understand Parasound is the right fit for them.
“I’m clearly not buying a broken company,” says Sheriff. “I could sit down in the head office and watch the system work just fine. However, there are opportunities for new products, new processes, and opportunities to improve productivity without sacrificing quality management or driving away good people. Today’s Parasound provides an excellent foundation for natural growth. We are not going to reinvent the wheel on day one. Staff, dealers, vendors, and distributors should look for things to proceed normally as I find my footing.”
Sheriff assumed ownership on December 8th.
The Audiophile History of Parasound
Parasound has been a fixture in the world of high-performance audio since the early 1980s, building a reputation for delivering serious audiophile sound without the kind of pricing that usually accompanies that level of quality. Based in San Francisco, California, Parasound’s history is marked by a consistent design philosophy—get as close to the reference sound as possible, but do it with smart engineering and cost-effective manufacturing. In an industry where brand prestige and boutique price tags often dominate the conversation, Parasound has stood out by offering equipment that punches well above its weight.
The company was founded by Richard Schram in 1981. Schram had a background in consumer electronics and understood both the technical side of audio and the market gaps that weren’t being addressed. He saw that there were plenty of high-end products that sounded great but were unaffordable for most people, and plenty of affordable products that didn’t sound particularly good. Parasound was created to sit between those extremes. By designing components in the U.S. and manufacturing them offshore—mainly in Taiwan—Parasound was able to keep prices down while maintaining a high level of quality control.
Early on, the company gained traction with budget-conscious audiophiles and professionals who needed reliable, good-sounding gear. But what really helped Parasound move upmarket—and solidify its credibility—was its partnership with legendary circuit designer John Curl. Curl had already made a name for himself with work at Mark Levinson and in designing studio-grade electronics, and his collaboration with Parasound brought a new level of prestige and technical refinement to the brand.
The Halo Series, launched in the early 2000s, marked a turning point for the company. The flagship Halo JC 1 monoblock amplifier, designed by Curl, was widely praised for its ability to drive difficult speaker loads, its wide dynamic range, and its transparent, uncolored sound. It competed directly with amplifiers that cost several times more. The JC 1 became a benchmark product for Parasound and remains in production today in updated form as the JC 1+.
The Halo line expanded to include the JC 2 preamplifier, A 21 stereo amplifier, and P 6 DAC/preamp, all aimed at listeners who wanted audiophile-grade sound without entering the five-figure territory that dominates the upper end of the market. These components found their way into both serious home systems and recording studios—proof of their reliability and neutrality.
Outside of the Halo Series, Parasound has offered several other product families, including the more affordable NewClassic and Z Series lines. NewClassic components are typically two-channel designs with straightforward features, often used in custom install or multi-zone setups. The Z Series is known for its compact form factor and space-saving components, offering options like half-width power amps and preamps that are surprisingly capable for their size.
Through it all, Parasound has retained a focus on analog integrity. Even as digital streaming and HDMI-equipped AV processors became more common, Parasound resisted the trend toward unnecessary complexity in its core two-channel gear. The emphasis remained on clean power, low noise, and signal paths that preserved the original recording as faithfully as possible.
In 2022, after more than 40 years at the helm, Richard Schram sold the company to David Sheriff, a technology executive with experience in software and systems integration. The change in ownership brought questions about the future direction of Parasound, but the company publicly committed to maintaining its focus on high-performance audio while expanding its reach to new markets and technologies.
The transition also marked a new era for Parasound’s brand identity, including product updates and a refreshed visual design language. At the same time, core design principles and key product collaborations—especially with John Curl—remained in place, signaling continuity as well as evolution.
For many audiophiles, Parasound represents a sort of sweet spot in the high-end world. The brand has always appealed to listeners who value performance and transparency over prestige branding. It’s for people who care about the circuit design and component selection, not just the logo on the faceplate. And because Parasound products often outperform their price tags, the brand has developed a loyal following among budget-conscious enthusiasts and system builders alike.
A bit of an unusual person to take over, what without any background in audio. That said, if everyone else at Parasound knows their job, and I believe they do, then hopefully his skills will be of help in growing the brand.
I sure hope so as a Parasound Halo owner.