FirstWatt SIT-3 or Pass Labs XA25 for Avalon Indras?


Hi, I have a dilemma, SIT-3 or XA25 for my Avalon Indras that are 87db and 4ohms? 
I use to listen at night at low volume, mainly chamber music and opera, but also orchestra. I like the warmth and three-dimensionality and the reverb of music auditoriums.
The preamp is a Dissanayake custom tube and the speakers are the Avalon Indra, both wonderful.
Of the SIT-3 I read that it drives 4ohm well, that it has a warmer sound and has more soundstage than the XA25, all of which leads me towards this model.
Of the XA25 it struck me that it goes down to 2ohm and is very detailed.
Power is not the key point, if I listen to music during the day the knob never goes beyond half of the current power amp which is a 50W Bartolomeo Aloia Micropal.
The aim is to have magic and involvement at low volume.

Thanks in advance for suggestions!

Alberto 

ulul

Showing 2 responses by decooney

"@ulul Power is not the key point, if I listen to music during the day the knob never goes beyond half of the current power amp ... ... The aim is to have magic and involvement at low volume."

 

Others here have already mentioned something similar to my own experience. Another .02 cents to add if it helps.

After messing around for too long over a few decades between my former 87db 4ohm and 92db 6ohm speakers, trying and owning several capable solid state and tube amps, the part about listening at "low volume" with lower current / lower power amps can be challenging to achieve for what I think you are looking for here from the sound. Sure the lower power and lower current amps will play, nice and smooth. However if that’s all you are looking for, may be good enough. Now room filling sound, that’s another thing at lower output levels. Learned this the hard way.

If you are planning to keep your existing 87db 4ohm speakers, and if filling the whole room with sound at Low listening levels, I’ve just found my traditional higher current / higher power SS amps with a little more weight to the iron and power can help. Yes, particularly at low level listening levels is what I’m getting at primarily.

Later I stopped fighting it and sold my lower efficiency 87db 4ohm speakers in order to try different lower power amplifiers again. With that said I still enjoy a tad more current/power with weighty transformers in the amps and one of those I alternate with now is only a full-time Class A 50w modified Pass amp btw. It does well for its power and size, yet when I jump to my 120w mono tube amps with double the iron, my 92.5db 6ohm speakers just sing that much more at low, medium, or high levels. Hope that helps, maybe look at something with a little more current/power/drive as others mentioned here for your Avalons. Best of Luck.

@whiteknee "These are quality amps when system matched properly".

 

Exactly. And yet the OP keeps asking about the lower powered SIT-3, regardless. The more operative question would be has anyone heard SIT-3 paired with your 87db 4ohm Avalon speakers. I’d venture to guess most likely not as it would not be a recommended match and pairing. Proper amp-speaker matching makes a real difference.