I went from the XA100.5 to the XA160.5. My speakers are a very demanding load and I thought I would need more power/current. I first demoed my speakers with the XA30.5 and they sounded a bit restricted during loud classical passages. My XA100.5 was better so I considered the XA160.5. I called Kent at Pass and he said I would get a bit more of everything. He was right. Better dynamics, larger soundstage, more effortlessness, better air, better control of bass. All this in a small room at moderate volume 75-90 dB. Music just became more involving. The improvement was not huge, but better in every way. For me, it was definitely worth the upgrade cost.
I am not familiar with your speakers and have not heard the XA60.5. I suggest you contact Pass Labs and describe your situation. I also have not heard the X350.5, but if you like the pure Class A sound and the XA100.5 is enough for you, it might just be the ticket. |
Elmerpoh,
Given your 91dB and 4 ohm min impedance and the fact that you listen fairly close to your speakers, I would think that the XA100.5 would be plenty of power and the X350.5 might be overkill without as much Class A magic.
I would enjoy the XA60.5 until your dealer gets the new amps in. Then, just audition each one in your own system and decide which you like better. I think it will be the XA100.5 over the X350.5. Remember, they need to be on for a few hundred hours to break in, at least mine did. Then, just enjoy the pure, glorious sound. |
Tvad,
Could you please elaborate on your last post? You seem to suggest that all one needs to do is calculate SPL in a room and match the amp to speakers on paper and all will be fine.
The XA100.5 looks as though it has plenty of power to drive my Mini II's. Dealers even said as much. I have a small room and don't listen too loudly. The bias needle moved only slightly and not too often. However, switching to the bigger XA160.5 gave me better sound. I still have the same sized room, don't listen any louder, the needle almost never moves now, but dynamics, scale, staging and control of the lower frequencies are all better. The music is more involving and enjoyable.
Sure it costs more, uses more electricity and generates more heat, but the results are well worth the upgrade cost to me.
Now, the sonic signature of the X.5 is surely different from that of the XA.5 and the OP should hear the difference before committing. |
Elmerpoh,
I must have misunderstood you. I thought from your original post that the dealer is getting new stock (both the X350.5 and the XA100.5) in the next 3-4 weeks. I assumed you would simply be able to listen and compare them to your XA60.5 at the shop or better in your system. Now it seems that these will not be available to you to demo/audition in your own system. Is that the purpose of this thread? The dealer will have these for you to purchase, but you will not be able to listen to each ahead of time? That is the only way to really know for yourself.
I agree with Jpspock. The pre amp makes a big difference and the Pass units sound great with the Pass amps. Have you considered getting a preamp and just repairing the XA60.5 instead of upgrading the amp? I would ask Pass or the dealer if this makes more sense.
Peter |
Pubul57,
I think the XA60.5 should have enough power for Elmerpoh to enjoy his system. I've tried (unsuccessfully I guess) to make three points in this thread.
1) I have always benefitted from more power with my Pass amps. Enough power to drive a given speaker to certain SPL is one thing, for the speaker to sound it's best is often another. For me, the XA160.5 sounds considerably better driving my Mini II's (87dB, 4 ohm) than did my XA100.5. Elmerpoh may prefer the sound of the XA100.5 to the XA60.5 even if it seems like the added power is not needed.
2) Elmerpoh may benefit more from a Pass pre amp with his existing XA60.5 than with the XA100.5 and using his DAC directly for roughly the same money.
3) The only way to be really sure which amp he will prefer is to listen to the X350.5 and the XA100.5 in his own system if this is possible. The dealer may not allow this. It is unclear.
I have always bought the biggest Class A Pass amp I could afford at the time, and with my speakers, Eggleston and Magico, the sound has benefitted. |
If the amp is going back to Pass for repair anyway, perhaps you could just contact Mark @ Reno to set up an audition of the XA100.5 and the X350.5. I'm sure Pass and Reno could work out an accommodation as customer service is a top priority for them.
Scratch that, I just noticed you are in Singapore. The dealer should let you audition. If not, contact Pass and find another dealer. Should should hear the difference for yourself. |
Elmerpoh,
What did you decide to do? Can you update us? Thanks. |
Elmerpoh,
You never gave your impressions of the new amps. Do you still have them and how do they compare with the XA60.5? |
I enjoyed the XA100.5 very much until I bought a new pair of inefficient speakers and found the amps did not have quite the power the speakers needed. So I traded the amps in for a pair of XA160.5's. The result was a more open and effortless sound with a slight increase in soundstage depth and clarity. Bass also had more impact with slightly more control. There were no areas in which the sound got worse. But they are heavier and hotter, take up more space and use more energy.
Perhaps the 10.5 is the sweet spot, but if one needs more power, I'd recommend as much class A power as one can afford. There does not seem to be a sonic price as you go up the XA.5 line. |
Good point Pubul57. I've never tried my bigger XA.5 amps with more efficient speakers, so I really don't know if they sound better or worse than say the XA30.5 would. I would expect some advantage from monoblocks with the separation of each channel, but that is also just speculation on my part. |
