With your speakers I would not expect much of a difference going from the XA-60.5 to the 100.5, it just doesn't seem like power (a fairly marginal difference here) is the issue, not with your speakers and your room. Did you ask Pass Labs? |
Though I did not say it before, I should have added that IMHO the XA60.5 will sound as good, if not better than the XA100.5 IF it provides enough power to drive your speakers to the volume levels you want, and in the case of your speakers, that would seem to be the case. All things being equal, my opinion is that the same basic circuit design sounds better in a lower watt configuration than higher watt because it is a simpler device at lower watts. My general rule is buy as many watts as you need, but no more than you need. |
Yup, I would think XA100.5 or higher, but those 100s are conervatively rated, might do the trick with the Sashas, but it does seem to be one of those speakers like some Thiels and B&W were the more power the better - they need it. |
"I was always told all speakers like wattages, the higher the better."
I do think all speakers need enough watts to perform well, the quantity varies with the speaker, room, music, and loudenss preferences. I also know folks like VTL will suggest you need 1,000 watts to really allow speakers to blossom. That being said, I think there is always (almost always?)a loss in quality as watts go up for a specific circuit design, but that can be a fair tradeoff if your speakers need the power, and some speakers do need alot of power, or more importantly current to drive low and dipping impedances. I think that on speakers like mine (Merlin VSM)the XA30.5 (which I did own)will sound better than the XA100.5. But I have know doubt the XA100.5 will sound alot better driving Thiel or B&Ws - they need the power and the current. So the question isn't really which is the better amp, but which is the best amp/speaker combo, and I'm not sure why the XA100 would drive your speakers any better than the XA60s (but they might). |
Some Pass X.5 owners will have to pipe in here, but for some reason I think the X.5 series might very well be more dynamic than the XA.5 series, but that you will lose some midrange liquidity moving from XA to X - not sure if that is a matter of power differences or circuit design differences. Class A is generally "smoother" and that might (not sure here) be we you notice as reduced "explosiveness" and "transient speed". As far as I can tell, the damping factor differences should not account for much (especially with your speakers). |
I would expect the XA-100.5 to be "better" than the XA60.5 with the WP Sasha, that amp/speaker combo is better suited to the needs of the WP. But, as Onhwy61 points out, listening is worth 10,000 threads on the topic (now if you can only get rid of preconceptions during the listening - hard to do sometimes). |
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Peter, is it your feeling also that the XA60s is more than enouch power for his speakers? It certainly seems that way. |
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Congratulations!! Great amps with almost any speaker. |
7p62mm: "A couple of advantages that the XA60.5 has over the XA100.5 is the 33% lower up front cost and the 33% lower power consumption (200W versus 300W)."
And in my experience, lower power versions of the same circuit generally sound better than those requiring more complex output stages for the additional power - IF you have sufficient power. With 90db speakers, 60 watts 8 ohm should be more than enough, unless you really like the idea of premature hearing loss or the ability to make you neighbors want to move or sue you. |
The man is on of the greats, and owning most any amp he has had a hand in is a pretty good thing. Loved his short-lived 25 watt, Aleph J which should be great with most any 89-90db or higher and smooth impedanced speaker, maybe as good as the XA30.5 with my speakers and very easy to drive with a tube preamp (240kohm input impedance). |
I would expect all those benefits when you move from an underpowered amp
for one with the power necessary to drive a given speaker. But I'm not sure how
you know there is no sonic price driving a speaker that can easily be driven by
an XA30.5 and then driven by the 160.5 - let's say a speaker with 94db
sensitivity - I suspect, but cannot prove it since I have not tried it, that there is
a sonic price to be paid for those extra watts, when those extra watts serve no
real world purpose in being able to drive the speaker loud and with bass
control.
In your case the sonic penalty is paid when trying to drive a speaker that needs
more power than you had with the XA100.5, and when you need more power I
would not expect a sonic price being paid by adding the higher powered amp, it
is the wattage you need to make the speaker come alive and a lack of power is a
much higher price to pay than a lessening of purity due to all the added
electronics need for higher output..
However, at any power level, I think the XA.5 series is among the best sounding
SS amps available - they are all excellent IMHO. The changes you can expect in
moving from the 60 watt version and 100 watt version will depend on the
speaker being driven, |
I still believe the monoblock argument about separation, though it may be an article of faith as some folks I respect on things audio don't believe this is the case with well made gear, I don't know but there certainly is very highly regarded gear in stereo configuration - and my Music Reference RM9 and CAT JL2 had pretty darn good separation:) The theory certainly makes sense, and it must be an advantage to be able to run shorter speaker cables. |
Sounds like there may be no sonic price to be paid as you move up the Pass like, just the cash price (when you need the power). |
