Pass Labs AMP’s- What is the best Pass Amp Sound for You from past 10 years

I talked to a couple people with pass labs amps and they both felt the XA series is 'far superior' to the X series. For those of you who have compared, is this the case? I guess it depends on how demanding the speakers are but apparently the XA series has components and designs that are closer to the XS series and thus is a better performer.

Talking to pass about this they mentioned the X series may have a bit more bass control and more dynamics especially with harder to drive speakers where the XA series might have a more organic midrange and more detail.

I am the original owner of a Threshold 4000, and had it "updated" and recapped a while back by John Soderberg.  Still sounds great when being fed by a Herron Phono/LTA MicroZotl front end.  I would be interested to hear if any of you Pass-aficionados have any experience in comparing the 4000 with recent Pass amps?

I am a bit confused as to why some people believe the xa is better when often times the x series does not even leave class A to drive the speakers.

assuming the needle on your x series does not move much let alone go past noon position then you are in class A if I understand my conversation with kent english at pass correctly,

so if your speakers dont push the amp out of class A then essentially the x series is class A like the xa series.

my 260.8 monoblocks have 33 watts of class A and with my 40.2 harbeth speaker does not leave Class A (which is surprising given face that harbeth like power and I play relatively loud)

I was initially inclined to get xa60.8 monoblocks but was advised that the bigger harbeth were recommended by the distributor usa for harbeth to pair better with x series.

Has anyone heard the xa60.8 and 260.8 in same system and heard a difference? I can imagine in a big room or with speakers that are very demanding

@karmapolice, your point has much merit, but meters on gear such as this are almost never calibrated measuring devices, more often than not just glitzy toys serving as eye candy. Such meters rather than giving insight more often than not mislead.

I have an X250.8 with Sophia 2's. I'm very happy with the combination. Very natural, organic mids and highs, and excellent bottom end extension and weight. Slam is very good (but not a Krell). Outstanding, realistic 3D imaging. I think the Pass brings out what the Sophia's do well without exaggerating anything or making them fatiguing.

Upstream it's an ARC Ref CD8 into an ARC Ref 5SE. The Pass works really will with that. Very happy with all of it.