Pass Labs XA25 Anyone?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by avanti1960, Aug 18, 2021.

  1. COBill

    COBill Forum Resident

    Location:
    Colorado, USA
    But how much time has it accumulated?

    My system is on 24/7 (which is why I can only use tubes for phono) so I accumulate hours quickly.

    Generally, amp burn-in takes 500-750 hours.
     
  2. Benzion

    Benzion "Cogito, ergo sum" Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
    You might want to fill out your equipment profile.
     
  3. Retired Audio Guy

    Retired Audio Guy Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Vermont
    Thanks all for your kind words.

    I agree about the XA25's ability to play softly. The amp, and the Rockports, have the ability to resolve down to the west level of audibility - hence my remarks on the decay of notes. The ability to play ppp is at least as important as fff. Just as Adagio is, I think, a greater test of a musician than Molto Allegro. For me music is about emotion, the ability to transport me to a different - I was going to say place but - universe!

    A few times I have played for people who do not, typically, listen to "classical" music, the slow movement of Op. 132. It has changed a few lives! When auditioning gear that movement has been a crucial test.
     
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  4. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    Still loving the XA25. Not leaving anytime soon.
    A little warmer sounding but still excellent tone. Explosively micro-dynamic is the key attribute as well as a clean refinement that never loses its composure. Highly recommended.
     
    Bananas&blow, Swann36, woody and 14 others like this.
  5. Khorn

    Khorn Dynagrunt Obversarian

    Excellent that your satisfied. First class manufacturer. It should serve you well for many years.
     
  6. timind

    timind phorum rezident

    Closing in on 6 months!!! It must be good.:righton:
     
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  7. mds

    mds Forum Resident

    Location:
    PA
    Well it says a lot about the amplifier and how nicely it drives the Harbeth speakers considering they are not the most sensitive at 86dB and 6 ohms. I am sure the pairing of two REL subwoofers is a wonderful addition and help with the bottom end nicely. If anyone has spent time researching and listening to equipment it is you and I am so happy that you found your little slice of heaven with this system you have set up. Congratulations, this system should give you years and years of happiness.
     
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  8. mkane

    mkane Strictly Analog

    Location:
    Auburn CA
    The way to go is to bi-amp.
     
  9. Helom

    Helom Forum member

    Location:
    U.S.
    The XA25 is an incredibly musical amp, even with less than ideal speaker pairings.
     
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  10. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    or by amp.
     
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  11. Tone?

    Tone? Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Francisco

    Or even buy amp
     
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  12. Morbius

    Morbius Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brookline, MA


    Avanti1960, you might like this latest Audiophiliac video. Jeff is a classical musician and recording artist who built his system around an XA25, a Pass preamp and Magnapan speakers. Just for fun.
     
    sushimaster, avanti1960 and Dafox like this.
  13. Helom

    Helom Forum member

    Location:
    U.S.
    Things are about to get weird. Today I’m going to try using the Hegel integrated as a pre/DAC into the XA25. One reason for this is the Hegel’s onboard DAC is very good (at least as judged through the Hegel alone). The Hegel as an integrated has a softer, more rounded sound than that of the XA25 but the power difference is hard to ignore. I want to determine how much of this “softness” is attributable to the Hegel’s amp section.
     
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  14. Espen R

    Espen R Senior Member

    Location:
    Norway
    I think you should hear a Dynamic Precision amp ;) DP was bought by Electrocompaniet, and right after they closed the brand. The amplifiers was to expensive to manufacture, it was said.
    Leif Erntsen, the founder of DP is a non-compromise engineerer.

    I listened to Hegel amps just a few years after the company was founded. It sounded very «solid state» at that time. Not good at all. But it was back then, not now.
     
  15. Ontheone

    Ontheone Poorly Understood Member

    Location:
    Indianapolis
    I find it interesting that people buy solid state amps when the last thing they want is for them to sound solid state. I find the easiest way to avoid the solid state sound is to buy tube amps ;) I too prefer for my audio playback system to sound analog.
     
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  16. Espen R

    Espen R Senior Member

    Location:
    Norway
    Ha ha :p In the old days, most solid state amps had some sound artefacts caused by odd distortions. And that caused the typical «solid state sound», I think.

    I have said it before, I love my Yamaha A-S3200 amp, cause it sounds neither solid state or tube. Something in the middle:)

    I guss my next amp will be an all digital amp, Pulse Width Modulation technology or something like that. I would guess Yamaha already has something in progress for years to come.
     
  17. Tone?

    Tone? Forum Resident

    Location:
    San Francisco

    This isn’t directed to you man. Just using the quote

    solid state or tubes.
    The amp is supposed to be transparent. Low distortion etc.
    that’s it
    Unless you like a colored sound. And that’s fine as well.
     
    timind likes this.
  18. Helom

    Helom Forum member

    Location:
    U.S.
    The H190 is very good in my system. Doesn’t give up anything to class A amps in terms of smoothness. It’s not the most delineated or precise sound but makes up for that with gobs of power. It’s actually one of the less SS sounding amps I’ve had in house, mostly due to its lack of glare.

    So far the Hegel makes for surprising synergy with the XA25, more so than did the LA4. And the Hegel’s built-in DAC is possibly the best I’ve used, though it’s hard to say for that certain since it is inseparable from the rest of the unit.
     
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  19. Ontheone

    Ontheone Poorly Understood Member

    Location:
    Indianapolis
    Agreed. I owned a Pass XA30.8 and enjoyed the amp quite a bit. Very organic sounding Class A SS amp. It just didn't bring the sense of space and holographic imaging that tubes did which is a priority to me...not to everyone. We all simply need to obtain the amp to speaks to our own personal listening priorities....no one can argue with that.
     
    Tone? likes this.
  20. Helom

    Helom Forum member

    Location:
    U.S.
    I love this amp so much that I bought another one to have a mint condition example with warranty.

    I can’t wait to receive my Tekton speakers, which should make for a better pairing than my current stable of inefficient speakers.
     
  21. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    High praise for sure !
    Should be a great match with the Tektons, The XA25 is performing very well with my 90db Spendors and was even better with the 93db AN speakers.

    Are you getting the Lore Reference (96db)?
     
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  22. Helom

    Helom Forum member

    Location:
    U.S.
    The Lore Reference with beryllium tweeters. I know the claimed 96db sensitivity is unrealistic, but I’d be happy with ~92.
     
  23. avanti1960

    avanti1960 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Chicago metro, USA
    Excellent! When do you expect them?
    Have you thought about the grille option? I have come to appreciate the slight moderation of high frequencies when using solid state amps. Always ran no grilles with tube amps.
    In fact I may have kept the AN speakers if they had grilles to blunt the sibilance.
     
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  24. RGBARGEE

    RGBARGEE Forum Resident

    Location:
    Heart of America
    I thought you were using Harbeths?
     
  25. Helom

    Helom Forum member

    Location:
    U.S.
    They should be shipping to me any day now. As of last week they were allegedly in the paint shop.

    I didn’t order the grilles. Maybe I should have but my impression is that Tekton consider grilles a nuisance, and many who order them never end up receiving them. I managed to enjoy the Revels without grilles so hopefully that bodes well for the potential of the Teks.

    I’ve increasingly found that my tolerance for speakers is largely dependent on the quality of the tweeters employed. Generally, the more expensive the tweeter, the easier it is to tolerate. I’ve yet to hear a sibilant beryllium tweeter, though I do know from from first-hand experience that the standard tweeters of the Lore Refs can be a tad grating at times.
     
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