What's a good alternative to Pass Labs?

The sound you describe could be the overwhole sound of your system. I have owned many Pass Labs amps. I own now also the 250.5. Which I will replace by the 350.8.

I have sold Classe for over 6 years of time. It is a nice brand. But it is not in the same league as Pass labs is.

The difference is in the realism of instruments. I also prefer the bigger stage of the Pass Labs.

Mini mac with a dac never convinced me. Why? Because you don't get the 3d image and sharp individual focus as with some gear in just one box. You loose dynamics and also sound realism.

I even think the other parts in your system are the weakest parts of your set.

The pass labs .5 series and Classe have both the properties of a wide and deep stage.

But you need an intimate and smaller individual focus of instruments and voices. They are in real a lot smaller. The combi is not the best choice to be honest.

What kind of cables do you use. Because they have there own properties as well.

I recently bought a Pass Labs X350.5 ( In 2015 I will buy a .8
series one) This is my fifth Pass amp ( XA30.5, 60.5, 100.5 and
X250.5)

I was surprised how much better it was than the X250.5. The
dynamics are superior, the stage is wider and deeper. But within
the stage the individual focus of instruments and voices is
sharper and more intimate. I already had a stage on the sides of
my speakers. But Now I also have the height increase ( I use 2
pair of the brand new Audioquest Wel Signature XLR) as I have
within and behind the speakers. It is a lot more musical in the
overall sound. It gives me the same feeling as I had with the
XA100.5. But with a better spatial and a faster and more dynamic
low freq. With the Purist Audio LE I prefer this over the
XA100.5 which I also owned.

When you still own the T&A loudspeakers I would sell them
directly. They are very poor in crossovers. To be honest I could
not sell this to my clients. In this price range there are
enough better speakers. The biggest limitation in audio is that
over 90% of all products is not worth their money in my personal
opinion.