I've had many Pass amps and preamps. The current XA.5 is the best they've made. Don't discount the advantage of the mono block XA60.5 over the XA30.5. My old Aleph 2 monos were a big step up from the Aleph 5 stereo. I would listen to your DAC directly into the amp before deciding you can live without a preamp. Matching here is critical and I've always preferred balanced with Pass. The new XP line of preamps is amazing and I would consider the XP-10/XA30.5 over the XA60.5/DAC combo for similar money, if your speakers are efficient enough. My 87dB 6ohm speakers need the XA100.5 in my smallish room. You could try contacting Kent at Pass. He's great about answering questions about amp/speaker matching. Mark at RENO HIFI offers in home trials and often has demos for sale.
