Latest On Pathos Classic Remix

So I have been auditioning the Pathos Classic Remix I got from Upscale Audio. I've had it for about seven weeks. And I finally got my own speakers back from repair a few weeks ago. 

The Classic Remix has gone through LOTS of changes, but seemed to have largely settled in about a week ago.  One thing about this amp is its ability to communicate the low level small dynamic stuff. The smallest impulse from a singer or instrumentalist is communicated. This amp really draws you in with that intimacy. 

The thing is, last Sunday, I encountered a sudden change. I turned the unit on, started to play music and the bass was suddenly huge and bloated. It was alarming to encounter such a sudden, large change. But it has been a long time since I have broken in a piece of equipment.

At first, I was wondering if it was my recently repaired speakers. But I tried my Grado 325is headphones through the amp's jack and they, too, were exhibiting bass that was too big and bloated. Anyone who knows those cans, that's not part of their sonic signature. 

I wrote Peter at Upscale Audio about my experience. He replied that he experienced something similar with his Pathos Legos. It's part of the breaking in of the unit, and, as they use lots of robust parts, it'll go through audible changes. I have about 260 or so hours in it at this point. 

I think, since last Sunday, I have heard incremental improvements, but the bass is still too much at times, and can dominate. I still hear it being a little too strong through the headphones as well. The soundstage to the amp tends to keep things deeper in general, so when the bass comes on strong and pushes it forward, it can come across as inconsistent.

My 60 days of trial from the date of delivery ends this upcoming Friday. I'm hoping that the bass settles down before then. 

Any thoughts/advice?

By the way, the place that fixed my speakers are Canor dealers. They were checking their work via the Canor 1.10 integrated, an all-tube, Class A integrated. I got to hear that combination when I picked up the speakers. The combo was magic. Richly fleshed out, 3-dimensional images, gorgeous spot on tonality, and superb effortless musicality. I've never heard my speakers sound so great. Downside? Cost and heat. Almost double the cost at retail (although they'd give me a bit of a discount, but it's really beyond my budget). And the amp gets hot. My listening room is my small living room. It would be too warm in the summer months. But it's nice to know that my speakers are capable of that. 

In the meantime, the Pathos' midrange and small level musicality is pretty special. It can sometimes seem a bit sibilant. My silver speaker cables seem to be too much for it. Pathos uses silver wiring inside, so it's probably too much silver. Substituting copper cables seems to be a better match, although I have given up some openness on top.