Pass Labs/Gershman AvanteGarde

i powered my avant gardes with a plinius sa-102 and the pairing was very nice with a tubed preamp. when i switched to a pass x2.5 preamp, the pairing was too sterile for my taste. i also used a pair of aragon palladium ii monoblocks and this pairing was awesome as well.

I heard the combination of Avant Garde, Pass 350XA and Hovland HP200 tube preamp at a local dealer's for an hour or so. The combination struck a nice balance between detail, resolution and musicality.

NOT SET like but very nice for sand amp.

I was there with restock listening to that system and have to agree that it was a really nice combo. The musicality was definitely there in spades.
Listening to "A case of you" by Diana Krall (Live in Paris"), there was a great sense of ambience from the recording venue, without any sibilance (which I am hoping to correct in my system, with perhaps a Hovland HP-100).
Excellent soundstage in both height and width was noted as well.
An excellent combination in my opinion. I wonder what it would have sounded like with the pass labs pre with it...I have no doubts that the hovland was working some tube magic on the system :)
B

Thanks. I presently use Linar amplification, and am very happy. But, I have been thinking about shaking things up a little, and trying something different. It's tough to remember why you love chocolate so much if you don't occasionaly try vanilla.
Pass is an amp that I think Gershmans would pair well with, (low efficiency and high power.)
A tubed preamp I have yet to try in my system. That might also be an idea.

Not sure exactly which Pass amp Restock and Mantisory heard exactly. Pass currently has two lines the pure class A XA- series (XA160), and the less expensive (in relative terms) X.5 series (i.e. X350.5).

I know that Pass has announced the XA.5 series, but I dont think it's available yet, and I think 160wpc will still be the most powerful in this series. The X.5 series has class A up to the first 50 watts then switches over to A/B.

The X.5 series has a very different sound than the older non ".5" series. I had heard the X350 and X350.5 side by side. The non ".5" amp sounded typical solid state, cold and sterile. I would not use "musical" to describe it. But the X.5 is completely different, it has more of the XA characteristics (musicality). I am personally using the X350.5 to drive a pair of Verity Parsifal Encore.

Just want to point out the difference before someone runs out and pick up a used X350 and think that something must be wrong with our ears.

FrankC

Frank, thanks.....that explains the price difference between a used 350 and 350.5

re: pass xa###.5 line is now out, but unsure if the xa160.5 is available yet. i suggest you call pass labs directly as they can advise you on the sonic differences of the x###.5, XA### and XA###.5 amps. they may also help you decide which is best for your speakers. they are helpful.

i have not heard the new XA###.5, but it is my understanding that the sound coloration is most similar to the XA amps, which is "warmer" than the x###.5, though still in the "neutral" range. however, the XA###.5 doubles down the wpc all class A into 4 ohms from 8 ohms, unlike the fixed class A XA### (no point five) giving tremendous power with purity. also note, the X###.5 amps (not XA) differ in the quatity of pure class A before they go into a/b mode. gundman91 correctly advised that the x350.5 is class A for the 1st 50wpc, but the first class A wpc differs within each model of the series. cheers.