what's the difference, 2 db? Audibility is doubtful
no personal experience though- I run a 250.8 which has power to spare |
I also own and love the X250.8. I am told that the XA100.8 is better sounding than the XA60.8 even at lower power levels... |
In the same vein, I would interested in reading about those who went from the .5 to .8 power amps as well. Happy Listening!
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I went X250 to X250.5 then X250.8 over 12 years...each was a significant improvement with the same signature sound |
the X250 and X250.5 also had some upgrades along the way before the model number was updated |
I have Wilson Sasha Upgraded from Xa 30.5 to xa 100.8. Now saving to upgrade to xa 160.8. Sasha needs more power. The 100.8 delivers more headroom and bass control but just not enough in my experience. |
alfa100, Purhased a pair of Xa 160.8s just two (2) months ago. My Avalons have never sounded better. Out of the box; bass control was great. After (2) weeks; bass control became tighter, more textured, seemed to go even lower. They have kept getting better in subtle ways. Midrange is superb. Space and Air have continued to improve. Dead Quiet! Everything comes out of a black background! Imagining is palpable! Will be keeping these amps for a long time! At a 141lbs each; make sure you know where you want them! Best Wishes on your Journey. |
Call and speak with Kent English at Pass Labs. Kent spent time with me during our quest to get the "right" Pass amp.
He's honest and straight forward - a refreshing break from our marketing induced culture.
Kent explained each step up the Pass line improves performance, not just increases power.
We have a pair of Sasha I's, originally driven by a XA-30.5 (which we greatly preferred over our X-250.5). Now we have a pair of XA-200.5 and aspire for a pair of Alexia's and XS-300's.
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I second tjassoc.
Kent and the guys at Pass Labs (including Nelson Pass himself) are very approachable and generous with their time. I also highly recommend Mark Sammut at Reno HiFi as a dealer with very fair pricing, generous trade-in/trade-up policies, in-home demos and all-around good guy.
I've traded up with Mark over the years and never been disappointed. He's a very straight-shooter and won't automatically try to "up-sell" you to something you might not need.
I went from X350.5 to X250.8 and consider it a significant upgrade. Likewise XP-20 to XP-30 -- maybe the biggest single step-change for the better of any component upgrade I've done in 40+ years of audio.
Steve Z |
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Tjasdoc, where does it ever stop |
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alfa100 -- It Only Stops when YOU say; "I am Happy!" Notice that I said that I will be keeping the Pass 160.8s for a long time; Not Forever! Probably, Maybe? |
I'M quite happy with what i already have- ML-53 Mono's. You get a lot of power and very pure sound, and they get warm but not too hot. Plus they weigh a "manageable" 135 lbs. OTOH, the Pass XA-0.8
series would have easily been my second choice; i believe they are as good as
anything out there including mega-expensive gear from Europe (with all due respect of course). But... they get VERY HOT. The cosmetics have
improved a great deal, but i still see no need at all for a bias meter.
Plus the XS- series is even better, and of course are big enough to be used as end-tables.
I will say it once again although "i know" that they are not nearly as good as the newer stuff, but the ALEPH line, especially the 1.2's, were/are superb amps- I know because I heard them and immediately wanted a pair for
myself. And guess what- no one (seems to be) putting them up for sale.
Perhaps someday they will come up with a design that makes power efficiently and also sounds organic, that would be a major step forward.
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We know that Pass Labs is the best SS currently. Any of you guys using these power amps on Thiel speakers? |
Agree with reaching out to people including Nelson at Pass Labs. i was looking at the First Watt line but after several emails with Nelson, stepped into a xa30.8 with the xp10 preamp. He was very patient with my questions and helped me make an informed decision. |
any word on replacements for the XP-10 and XP-20, as they've been around 7-8 years now? |
jl35
Pass upgrades about every 10 years!
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I see that Don. I was thinking that with so many responders here having spoken to Nelson and Kent, since we are in their 8-10 year timeframe, maybe they had some inside info... |
IME, both XP-10 & XP-20 are still the best SS pre-amp.
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I have and love the XP-20, but have found every new generation of Pass to be a significant upgrade |
Right On!
Happy Listening!
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XP-20 is the finest preamp I've ever owned. Prior to the XP-20 the best pre I ever owned was a CJ Premier 17LS2 |
what's the difference, 2 db? Audibility is doubtful
no personal experience though- I run a 250.8 which has power to spare
I also own and love the X250.8. I am told that the XA100.8 is better sounding than the XA60.8 even at lower power levels... I have the X250.8 (driving Magico S1s which like lots of current) which I'm very happy with. In the context of the original question, just curious, has anyone compared the X250.8 to the XA60.8? What type of sonic and power differences exist? If power/dynamics is the primary upgrade reason, would an XA60.8 to X250.8 make any sense? |
