2. amps-preamps
  3. 142521-21

Pass Labs - 350.8 stereo vs. 260.8 monos

I have never owned Pass labs amps. However, someone as successful at designing/manufacturing Class A and AB amplification over the long haul as Nelson Pass has to be close to perfecting their craft. I prefer mono amps for the usual reasons but am not against a great-sounding stereo amp. I currently own big Class A mono amps as well as a Class AB stereo amp and based on my listening experience I believe there are sonic trade-offs that make both Class A and Class AB amplification attractive for different reasons.

I am curious about the sonic differences between the Pass X350.8 and X260.8 monos. I noticed with the exception of the obvious power differences, the two amplifiers (and all the amps in the P8 line) have similar specifications. A couple of differences in specifications that stand out to me between the 350.8 and the 260.8s are maximum current (35A vs. 28A) and the wattage at which the amplifiers leave Class A and transition to Class AB (18wpc for the 350.8 and 34wpc for the 260.8s). In this area, the big X600.8 monos seem to be the best of both worlds as they do not leave Class A until 100wpc! I just don’t need that much power.

Although I found a review of the X250.8 stereo amplifier, I cannot find anything on the X260.8 monos so I am hoping some of you have auditioned or own the 260.8s and/or 350.8 and can share your impressions and maybe comparisons to the P5 line or comparable amps by other manufacturers. Thanks for any insights.
mitch2
mitch2 OP
3,969 posts
 
Maybe this quote from the Dagogo review of the X260.5 amplifiers describes what @rsf507  was referring to in his description of the Pass sound....
"Another thing I noticed about the Pass Labs X260.5 amplifiers was that, even though they were powerful and dynamic sounding as well as musical, there seemed to be a sense of a type of “restraint” on the music, a sort of “holding back”. Sort of like a power/speed governor on a lawn motor engine, it seems to restrict the amplifier from fully “letting go”, of blooming and expanding unrestricted and quite possibly, preventing the amp from distorting. This invisible “ceiling” seems to somehow restrict the energy and flow of the music “downwards”, by not “letting it go” and allowing the music to flow out, just like it does in real life." 
simpleman68
11 posts
 
Something we all forget about is combination. During auditions, I've heard the same amp sound substantially different based on speaker type, wire, source, pre-amp etc.
On many occasions I've heard the same amp that sounded awful on one speaker, sound pleasant on another. Change the pre-amp or source and they same can occur.
I am running the 260.8 amps on a very revealing speaker with dual AMT tweets per side and think this model is a great combo and mimicks the tubey warmth of other amps I've run.Other SS amps on these speakers can easily be too forward and/or thin.But the same amp in my theater (different speakers) sounds well balanced, dynamic and has great bass punch.
Scott
onomatopoeia
1 posts
 
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