Should I Sell My ARC REF 6 and Get A Pass Labs XP-32

I had the ARC Ref 6 in my systems for almost a month, courtesy of my buddy who let me audition it on its own and against my XP22. The amps are X260.8 mono blocks.

The Ref 6 is an amazing preamp. It throws a big, holographic soundstage with images that are slightly larger than life (this is both a Pro and a Con). Great combo with Pass amps. Natural sound, really nice.
With the XP22 in place of Ref 6, I get a more realistic presentation with soundstage nearly as big as Ref 6 but with images that are more lifelike. Better bass speed and definition (Ref 6 is a bit sloppy and wooly in the bass). Mids are, believe or not, slightly clearer with the XP22 and the highs are a bit sweeter/more extended. Volume control on XP22 with the X260.8 is more granular than on the higher gain Ref 6. With ARC you get bigger jumps in volume with each click. The XP22 has blacker, quieter background than the Ref 6.
I spent a good amount of time evaluating the Ref and comparing it to my XP22 to reveal these differences. Both preamps are excellent. In the end, I thought I would miss the Ref 6 but I really don’t.

To conclude, if I was to make the move up the preamp ladder, the XP32 would be at the top of my list.

@moto_man my speakers are Wilson Audio Sabrina. You can see my system with pictures in my profile.
One other finding worth mentioning…the preamp section of my Bricasti M3 DAC is very good. Yet the XP22 beat it in soundstage and musicality/engagement factor and it sounds more natural top to bottom. Running the DAC direct into amps was all about transparency and detail. But it was flat with less body and not as engaging compared to running the preamp. There’s synergy with running all Pass Labs amplification.

Also, I changed the Sovtek 6550 power tube to EH and that cleared things up a bit but I still preferred the XP22.

Hope this helps.

@tonywinga I’d say moving in any direction between Ref 6 and XP22 is essentially a lateral move but it will come down to personal sonic preference, tube maintenance aside. 
Since the XP32 is a step up from XP22, going there from Ref 6 should be an upgrade. I’d be shocked if this would be a lateral move. 

@welcher interesting as I haven’t seen this comparison before but it reflects exactly what I observed comparing Ref 6 and XP22. When I mentioned bass speed and definition and clarity, this is pretty much it with the XP vs Ref with Ref being slightly softer. 

@barts much worse than you think LOL

@moto_man looking at a picture of your system, I’d like to mention few things that can improve the depth of soundstage as well as overall presentation…

1. The speakers are too close to the front wall. If possible, move them so that they are at least 3ft from the front wall.

2. Spread the speakers apart some more, about 92” between center of tweeters

3. Try playing with toe in. What works for me in my room with the Sabrinas is the toe in that results in speaker axis crossing about 1ft behind my head

4. Add some room treatments - bass traps and first reflection points at a minimum.

5. Your listening position should be at least 1.1 to 1.2 times the distance to the speakers. 

Most of the above tweaks, except the room treatments, are free and definitely worth trying.

One other thing and this doesn’t impact the sound at all, but looking at the amp, assuming it’s powered on in that picture, the bias meter sits too low (should be touching the letter P)…but that’s just my OCD talking. You can adjust it.