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Pass Labs X-600 vs. X350.5 vs. SoundLabs?

I hate audio ... I really do ... Crack addicts pass me on the street and I call tell that they're thinking "at least I don't spend MY money on $2,000 power cords!" But I digress. ...

I recently sold my beloved M-L Prodigys and replaced them with a pair of SoundLab ProStats. We're talking 9ft x 4ft of radiating panels here people!

So far my wonderful Halo JC-1s have not even broken a sweat powering these monsters. But I've got a hankerin' to try a Pass Labs amp, only because my preamp and phono stage are Pass equiment.

Perhaps courtesy of the impending D-day of April 15th (isn't it the 17th this year?) there are a few Pass Labs X350.5's for sale for under $6K. Yet for the same price I can also buy a pair of X-600's (NOT 600.5's, of course).

So my questions for all those out there are these:
(1) Should I leave well enough alone and keep the wonderful JC-1's and spend the extra money or something frivolous like a medical checkup or car insurance?
(2) Should I be a true-blue audiophile and dump a great product that's served me well so that I can try something else? If yes, then what would be a better ... well ... I don't know .... "value" I guess? The pair of X-600's or an X-350.5?

To assist you in answering, I live in a condo so turning up my amps to "11" to hear "Smoke On The Water" is not an option. I don't need to have my filling fall out from the decibels. I listen at what most of us would consider "moderate" levels and my music of choice is small combo jazz, chamber and opera and alternative.

In terms of synergy, the system is as follows:

VPI TnT6/Triplanar VII/Dynavector XX-2 L.O
Esoteric DV-50S
Magnum Dynalab 108 Triode (a freakishy great tuner, BTW)

Pass Labs X0.2
Pass Labs XOno

Kimber KS-1130
Kimber KS-3033

So, X-600, X-350.5, stay with the JC-1s or ....?
veloceracing

Showing 1 response by jameswei

jameswei
883 posts
 
First, if you're happy with the JC-1s, I'd stay with them.

Second, if you really must try the Pass amps, the X350.5 is supposed to be more liquid and pleasing, as well as the more current model. While the X-600s are arguably the best of the X series and really do sound great (I have a pair), it seems like you don't need the extra power.

Third, the only real way to make a determination of which of the three amps is best would be to audition them in your system. It would be real hard for me to be able to discern a difference between these three great amps without knowing how all the system synergies will work out. Is there any way you could try the Pass amps at no cost or minimal cost? (Of course, you could always buy them used then sell them for about the same price.)
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