scothurwitz

Responses from scothurwitz

What tube pre-amps pair well with Pass amps?
Hi cal3713Just to set the record straight, Kent English works for Pass Labs in an administrative capacity, Wayne Colburn designs all of their line level preamps and phono preamps. Take care.Scot 
What tube pre-amps pair well with Pass amps?
I would agree with laudionut   I've had both an xp20 pre and an xp30 and they did some things very well such as great dynamics and very quiet and very transparent but they lacked musicality in my opinion. I found them to be quite sterile and lifel... 
What tube pre-amps pair well with Pass amps?
billtroYes, the xa30.8 has unbelievable drive capability. I used to have a pair of Magnapan 3.7i's with a pair of their DWM woofers wired in parallel to the xa30.8 and that means it was a constant 2 ohm load that the amp "saw" and it drove that se... 
thinking of switching from conrad johnson......
HI kennesawjetI had and enjoyed the Plinius sb301 and thought it was a pretty good amp. I believe it’s strength was in the bass. I had it on a pair of Magnepan 3.7i’s and it really woke up the Maggie’s in the bass. When it comes to Pass Labs amps,... 
What tube pre-amps pair well with Pass amps?
BilltroWhat’s the budget? New or used? I use use a PS Audio’s BHK Signature preamp with a pair of Telefunken 12au7’s from the early 1960’s into a Pass Labs xa30.8 class a stereo amp and it sounds amazing. Hope this helps.Scot 
Tubes?
Hi tobor007I think the most important decision you need to make is between quality or quantity. “Tube watts were louder than solid state watts”, general statements like that scare me and can be misleading. There are too many other factors and vari... 
Stillpoints Ultra 6 vs Critical Mass Center Stage 2
Hi b345tNothing wrong with starting with the amp. I would find out where the power transformer is and put one foot under that or under them both if your amp has two transformers as they create the most vibration. Joe (the designer) recommends four... 
Stillpoints Ultra 6 vs Critical Mass Center Stage 2
Hi b345tI spoke directly to Joe Lavrencek (the owner & chief designer of CMS) and told me (in an email) that the 1.5” feet do sound better than the smaller feet regardless of weight. More room on the inside for the secret sauce inside the foot... 
Stillpoints Ultra 6 vs Critical Mass Center Stage 2
Hi b345tI have never tried the Ultra 6’s but I did own the Ulta 5’s. The Ultra 6’s are supposed to be better than the Ultra 5’s. I believe the only difference is more ball bearings in the 6’s compared to the 5’s. The Stillpoints did open up the mi... 
Pass XA 25 versus Parasound A21+ - anyone compare?
Hi bobbyddI agree with teajay completely. I have the Pass Labs xa30.8 and it’s basically the same as the xa25 only with balanced inputs and outputs. I also had the Parasound a21 in the past and trust me, there’s no comparison. The xa25 will be so ... 
What isolation feet under your amp with great result?
Hi nasamanI don’t know the budget you are comfortable with or the price of your amp so it’s hard to suggest anything. If it’s in the budget, the CMS Center Stage feet are truly amazing (as I previously stated). I also forgot to mention the new Wil... 
What isolation feet under your amp with great result?
Hi nasamanI tried a set of 4 Critical Mass Center stage feet under my preamp and simply could not believe the improvement. They are stupid expensive but worth every penny. I have tried at least 20 different isolation feet over the years with varyi... 
Any thoughts on Pass X150.8 ?
smodtacticalSorry for the late reply, I just now saw your question. All I’m saying is that if left on 24/7 the xa30.8 will always sound it’s best. I have a friend who has a pair of xa160.8’s and he also turns them off when not using them. In my op... 
PS Audio BHK owners
FertguyI have the BHK preamp and my amp is the Pass Labs xa30.8 and it’s only 30 watts per channel and my speakers are Eminent Technolgy LFT8B’s which are very inefficient (83 dB)! My average listening level is #30 on the display on the preamp, if... 
PS Audio BHK lacking..
FertguyGreat choice on the Telefunkens from 1958. Those tubes should sound fantastic. I’ll bet those weren’t cheap. My Telefunkens were date coded from 1962 and they were just amazing. It took that BHK preamp to a whole new level. Let us know what...