I agree--you just have to try them both. I tried both a Capri and an X1 in my system and settled on the x1 based only on sound quality in my system. The Capri's low end was lacking in my setup. With respect to features and usability, the Capri is super, with great volume control. The X1 has very steep db attenuation with each click and a narrower range of attenuation than the Capri. I now have a Pass XP10 which replaced the X1. I would hardly characterize it as "lean" as an earlier post suggested, but again, it all depends on system interaction. I really like the XP 10's depth, width, height and solidity of soundstage, overall detail but with great smoothness, and new volume control setup. They advertise it as sounding great at low listening levels, and that claim is 100% spot on. Very easy to find a good level with almost any recording. Is this worth twice what you'd pay for an X1 or Capri? Hard to say. I think so.
Pass X1 and Rowland Capri Preamps
if you've owned or heard both of these preamps, i'd love to hear your impressions of how they compare. i'm looking for a pre and have narrowed it down to these two, however, haven't seen any comparisons that mention how they sound.