Just to correct an earlier post, the ARC DSi200 is their newest switching amp in integrated form, it is not a tube unit. The only review I have found so far likes it very much. I'm not sure how much difference in "loudness" you will find between the DSi200 and the Pass, since the DSi puts out 200 watts into 8 ohms, and 300 watts into a 4 ohm load like the 1.7s, which I believe is the same as the Pass amp. For what its worth, I run an ARC 150.2 into my 1.6s, and it sounds good to me (and the 150.2 also puts out 300 watts into a 4 ohm load).
