The INT25, being pure class a is a power house in and of itself. It kicks out excellent power overall and delivers excellent current. I think the change from Class A to Class D will leave you disappointed possibly. Although the new GaN tech is intriguing. There are plenty of dual mono integrated amps out there that can blow away some separates systems. Something to keep in mind too is the added complexity, more cable matching/integration etc with separates. I’ve gone back and forth with both systems and settled on an integrated. It’s just simpler, less things to power, less cables to buy etc. I can say I will never go back to separates again.
Can it get better?
Seeking the advice of folks who have experienced significant gains when moving from an integrated amp to separate pre and power. I realize there are several threads on the topic but specifically, I’d be concerned about a lateral move in terms of sound quality while dishing out close to 2x what I purchased my integrated for. For example, my system consists of a Pass Labs Int-25 driving Harbeth Shl5+ 40th anniversaries. It’s a combination that gives coherent and smooth sound yet is quite resolving.
Why change? For one, I would like to experiment with different power for the Harbeths and am intrigued by some of the class d options out there. The Pass was about 5k and some of the pre and power combinations I’m considering would push the cost north of 10k. There are a number of well designed preamps out there in the 5k range that I could see serving me for many years. Assuming good synergy with the power amp, is there good reason to believe that separates would sound significantly better than the little Pass which has system synergy built in? In what way? Or would I have to venture into a higher tier in terms of cost?
thanks for the advice
Brian
Showing 2 responses by geof3
@dynamiclinearity actually, that’s not correct regarding the wattage of the INT 25. It is basically the XA25 with gain. The reason it has no pre outs is, it was intended to be single ended only and as simple as possible. This comes from the guys at Pass directly. Regarding the wattage output. Pass rates their amps at .01 THD which is where the 25w comes from. The Int25 puts out nearly 70 watts of Class A power at 1% THD. Which is the typical stat. All the measurements are in Stereophile. It’s quite the little beast and not like anything Pass has created before. Regarding the comment about the Hegel H590, wow that thing is a monster. Fantastic integrated. I just finished a shoot out between the Gryphon Diablo 120 and the H590, both are still in the house. I ultimately chose the Gryphon after much back to back listening with my wife. Both are EXCELLENT. But the Gryphon has a couple of character differences and it is the one I am going to keep. I could easily live with either one. There truly are some great integrateds out there that really give the separates game a run for the money. |