Need Amp Advice

I think an integrated amp is an excellent way to go since you need a preamp anyway, and you save the space and the need for another pair of interconnects.  Just make sure it has the juice to make your B&Ws sing. 

I have the Emotiva XPA-5 Gen 3 amp just like yours. I also have the Pass Labs 150 and Pass Labs 150.8 amps. I am completely reworking my AV and Stereo listening room. When the xpa, 150, and 150.8 amps arrived within a few days of each other, I compared the quality of the sound with my Martin Logan Expression ESL13A electrostatic and dynamic hybrid speakers. The source was direct mode with no processing or analogue input from the Yamaha receiver.

3 people listened to a/b comparison between the 3 amps. No one was told what amps were being used. All were above 60 yrs old and not audiophiles. All amps were reviewed with the same results. The Pass Labs were purchased used and the Emotiva was burned in for over 200 hours before tested. We compared musical CD’s only. Rock, Female vocal Jazz, Blues.

These are the differences, heard by all, between the Emotiva and Pass Labs:

Emotiva:        Sharp, clear, very slightly brittle, enjoyable bass and vocals, smaller sound-stage, source location aware.
Pass Labs:      Detailed, emotional, musical, huge sound-stage that made the source invisible. Bass that just felt good to listen to. Voices that felt that they were in the room.
   
We could not consistently and unanimously discern enough difference between the two generations of Pass Labs amps to be statistically relevant. We are not golden eared, just average listening ability for senior citizens.

We are using the Pass Labs for our main front stereo speakers and our elevated front stereo/presence speakers. The Emotiva is for our center speaker and all others.

I hope this helps.

Hey Firstinetallguy,

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I have not been able to compare my Emotiva to any other amp but I share your observations on the quality of its sound. I can not wait to connect my speakers to a higher quality amp and rediscover my music collection.

I have chosen to go with Devialet 400, just bought one and will get it next week after the holiday. I am expecting miracles, but maybe it's better to lower my expectations to avoid disappointment :-)

I'll keep everyone posted once I get it.

Thank you!

Congratulations.

I'm very curious to learn about your experience with the Devialet 400s. They were an option I recently considered, but I decided to go with a separate preamp and keep my current amps (at least for now).