WHAT'S THE BEST SOLID STATE PREAMP FOR $3000 ??

Last year, I upgraded from the Krell KAV-280p to the PASS X1 (with full power supply) and there was no comparison - the X1 was simply in another league, I was suprised at what a difference a Preamp. could make in my System. My Amplifier was and still is the PASS X250.5 - I also tried the PASS X2.5 and an early-build X1 (with small power supply) and the late-build X1 (with full power supply) was significantly better than both. You will be hard-pressed to find a better Preamp. than the X1 to mate with your X250.5 regardless of cost. The new PASS XP10 offers mostly improved cosmetics and ergonomics over the final version of the X1, with minimal sonic improvement, at least from what I have heard.

Bob_reynolds - The PASS X1 was in production for 10-years (1999 – 2008) – over this long production period improvements were made to both the Control Unit and Power Supply. I owned - at the same time - an early-version of the X1 with the small power-supply, and a late-version with the full-size power-supply. The later version sounded noticeably better, so out of curiosity, I removed the top-cover of the Control Units and Power Supplies and found the PCBs and Electronic Components of the Control Units to be different as well as those of the Power Supplies - the full-size power supply’s components could not fit in the small power supply’s box. There are also differences in the Control Unit’s Volume Knob, Buttons and Display.