2. amps-preamps
  3. 190102-89202

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?)

rvpiano

Showing 2 responses by freediver

freediver
1,247 posts
 

What sounds a "lot better" to one person doesn't mean the next person will hear it that way..Never heard your amp but have heard the big Pass monoblocks & found them to be a touch cold to my ears,reminding me of an older Krell I demo'd once..
I am also dubious of ANY salesman proclaiming "much better"sound when he's pushing a high commission piece..If your happy with the current sound I would Pass(pun intended)on a $300.00 demo........If the difference is that much,they should be willing to demo it for free!

freediver
1,247 posts
 

I would like to add this to my comment...A "Class A" amplifier, compared to Class A/B,even as good as the Pass might be,is a whole different animal..IMO Class A solid state is ABSOLUTELY at the pinnacle of solid state amplifiers..They do indeed offer EVERYTHING you read a good tube amp offers,including increased staging & imaging,the naturalness of tone & the organic fundamentals of notes..
The big mono blocks are probably biased to run Pure Class A up to a certain point,likely the first 20 wpc.or so,meaning it is likely you will hear the pronounced difference Class A makes..If I were you,I would follow the advice to take your amp to them & spend some time comparing it in their shop BEFORE commiting to the $300.00 in home demo..Also note,as already mentioned,you can save a LOT of $ looking at gently used & IF you move towards Pure Class A ,there are options to Pass Labs from Sugden,Musical Fidelity & Luxman that offer superb value for $ you might want to explore before dropping big $ on a new Pass....

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