Pass Labs XA-25 vs XA-30.8 amplifier

It seems like the XA-25 is generally regarded as “transparent”. Maybe the big selling point for the  XA-30.8 is the balanced inputs? One thing that makes me hesitant about the Pass amps is the 3 year warranty, 5 years is pretty standard. Has anyone had reliability problems with their Pass amps?

Pass stuff is super reliable. They also have exemplary customer service.
I wouldn’t worry about warranty. 

Super reliable, and great customer service - have had 5 Pass amps over past 21 years

The Pass class A amps are not pure class A. They are class A up to the rated power but then they go into AB for a lot more power. The XA-25 will put out a clean 75 watts easily. But except for super short peaks the amp will stay well below its class A power. So it's sort of 99% class A with AB emergency power.

@OP. From personal experience, Passlabs products are extremely reliable.

As Dynamiclinearity says above, the number in the amps' name is the Class A power output.

Hi-Fi News magazine has just reviewed the 30.8. The concluding line is "It's a performance that should put a smile on the face of all audiophiles, bar those obsessed with 'clinical neutrality', and for a sane price."

Paul Miller measured the following dynamic power outputs into 8, 4, 2, and 1 amp loads: 105w, 205w, 357w, and 470w. That's on a 230V mains. Pass power amps sound a lot more powerful than they rate nominally, because they are a lot more powerful.

Dynamic power measurements aside, I've never heard any change in character in my 60.8s when driven hard, albeit in a small room where I don't need massive volume levels and I doubt the amps ever stray outside of their Class A power output.