Pass XA-160 and Avalon Eidolon


I'm thinking about purchasing the xa-160's, because of the raving reviews.

I heard the spectral 360's on the Eidolon's and found myself getting tired after about 2 hours of listening. Was to 'fast' for me?

Therefor I'm thinking about the xa-160's; a warmer and more lush sound, but still great control and dynamics.

Any experience in this combination??

Any other (pass, or others) SS suggestions, that sound controlled, a little warm and dynamic but not tiring??

Thanks for your reaction.
johnpf4

Showing 1 response by kurt_tank

The Lamm M2.2s (220 wpc) are (almost) exactly what you described. They have tight control over the sound, are a little warm, and very dynamic. The only thing is that it is not exactly a solid state amp. It is a hybrid amp that has one 6922 type tube in each monoblock. (However, having one tube is obviously not a big deal, and it gives you the opportunity to tailor the sound to your exact tastes.)

My friend uses these in his system, also with the Eidolons, and it sounds fantastic.
Plenty of power, tight control over the bass response, great treble response (tons of decay to the cymbals!), and a mid-range that has just the right touch of that old tube magic, so vocals sound great.
(I was so impressed with the change brought about by these amps in his system, that I found myself a pair of used M2.1s (the 200 wpc predecessor to the M2.2s) to use with my Revel Studios. A great match with them too!)

My two cents worth!
Good Luck in your search!