If your equipment had poor XLR connectors the manufacturer should have refunded your money (or refunded your dealer their refund to you). This is an equipment defect. It does not speak well of your dealer and/or the manufacturer that you had to pay a "healthy restocking fee."
Holographic, 3D Solid State Amp under $6k
Greetings! I’m looking for a $4-6k tube preamp + ~$6k solid state Amp combination - an Amp with Preferably a high impedance inputs, and XLR inputs. I want to combine the holographic, 3D imaging and wide soundstage of a tube preamp to the dynamics, control, and extension of a solid state amp. I’d like to see Class A for the first 10-15W. I’m looking for something that compares sonically with Pass, but I can’t go with Pass again.
I had a demo Pass X250.8 and XP-22 for 1 wk. Sounded beautiful, but the low gain of the XP-22 was too low on several sources to power the X250.8. The Volume had to be turned up to 80/99 for decent levels. Unfortunately, there were also QC issues on the Pass - the hum on the XP-22 was intolerable, and the XLR connectors wobbled on the X250.8. I was told that’s how the XLR plugs are on Pass. It didn’t inspire confidence, so I had to send it back with a restocking fee. So No Pass!
I had a demo Pass X250.8 and XP-22 for 1 wk. Sounded beautiful, but the low gain of the XP-22 was too low on several sources to power the X250.8. The Volume had to be turned up to 80/99 for decent levels. Unfortunately, there were also QC issues on the Pass - the hum on the XP-22 was intolerable, and the XLR connectors wobbled on the X250.8. I was told that’s how the XLR plugs are on Pass. It didn’t inspire confidence, so I had to send it back with a restocking fee. So No Pass!