McCormack or Pass Labs

I only have experience with the DNA-125, but in my system, used as a spare to back up my VTL mono's, I thought soundstaging was a major strong point, although image height could have been better. I also did not find the tonal balance to be at all thin or bright, a criticism I've read of the new McCormacks. To me, it sounds smooth and deep, with quite good resolution, if not all the clarity or life of my reference, and has power and dynamics to spare. At the price I think it's a bargain, but this assessment can't necessarily be translated directly to the 225 (some experienced listeners have even reported prefering the 125 if the higher power is not a consideration). One thing I'm sure of is that you shouldn't seriously audition your McCormack until it's been on and playing music for at least 2 hours, and the same may well go for the Pass. Also, my 125 works much better with my Satori SC, whereas with my VTL's I tend to prefer the Au24, for whatever that's worth. It wouldn't surprise me if the Pass was better, only not for the same money.

Dan: I think that's basically true of any piece of gear - including any amp - to a greater or lesser extent. Obviously no one's going to leave their tube amp always on though. My McCormack defintitely sounds best if I don't turn it off, but the lack of an output mute switch makes me a little apprehensive that the speakers could be damaged if something untoward were to transpire on the powerline while the system was unattended. (Not that I could probably do anything if that were to occur while I was in the room... :-)