@OP - you should find a dealer who will allow you a home audition of the amp for free. Offering to waive the $300 cost if you purchase is a clever sales tactic to subtly pressure you into buying in order to recoup your $300 outlay. In addition, it's ridiculous that he wants to charge to demo an amp which is not the actual model you would be buying. The Pass class A amps have a common sound character but they don't sound identical. However, as regards the comparisons , if you find your Benchmark slightly sterile/mechanical sounding, you will love the Pass. But you would need to hear exactly what you would be contemplating buying. The amps sound good from cold take an hour to warm up and about two hours to sound at their absolute best.
Quandary
I’m really happy with my system. However when a technician, who is also a salesman, came to my house for a stereo repair he complimented my set but said it would sound a lot better if I switched out my Benchmark AHB2 amp (which I think is great) for a Pass 30 wpc class AB amp. He offered to let me hear that amp in my system so that I could decide for myself (at a fee of $300.) The only problem is he doesn’t have the 30 watt amp in stock but would have to demo the Pass sound with 60 watt monoblocks. He assured me that with my very efficient GoldenEar Triton 1 speakers the 30 watt amp will almost have the the same quality.
Do you think I can honestly judge how the smaller amp will actually sound? Or should I cancel the demonstration (and save$300?)