IMO the First Watt amps are nothing special. I have heard four of the upgrades so far. I built a FW amp using better parts and point-to-point wiring that was much better in every area. Cost me about $500 in parts, etc.
As for Luxman products (which I like BTW) I met the Luxman rep a month ago. He was trying to tell me that EI transformers were quieter than toroidals. That goes against anything I ever learned. He told me after many years of research this was their findings. So what does that mean? Well nothing if you prefer the sound of their products.
As for the OP question, the amps that I build are what I prefer but knowing Pass Labs products the one you are referring to is an excellent amp when I had it in my system.
Happy Listening.
As for Luxman products (which I like BTW) I met the Luxman rep a month ago. He was trying to tell me that EI transformers were quieter than toroidals. That goes against anything I ever learned. He told me after many years of research this was their findings. So what does that mean? Well nothing if you prefer the sound of their products.
As for the OP question, the amps that I build are what I prefer but knowing Pass Labs products the one you are referring to is an excellent amp when I had it in my system.
Happy Listening.