Alternative considerations to the Pass X260.8 for my VSA Endeavor SE

tony22

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Nov 4, 2019
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I’m in the process of running in my new pair of Enedeavor SE speakers, but I’ve been considering different amplification for them. I’m current running a Van Alstine 600R with Telefunken ECC801S tubes. The AVA IMO punches way above its weight, but as I use a Pass XP-20 preamp I’ve often thought going to a Pass amp (or amps) might be a good option. I have a friend who runs an X250.5. I like what this amp brings to his system. He used to run a very early gen AVA hybrid amp, and describes the change to the Pass as bringing more refinement, and better liquidity and extension to the upper range. I thought a pair of X260.8s might be a good option, but (for me) that’s a good piece of money. I’d like to move to all SS for the amp - much as I like the AVA hybrid, over the years going down the path of experimenting with tubes has driven me a little nutty sometimes (if I do move from this amp, I have a very nice selection of classic Valvos, TFKs, and other tubes that may be of interest to to someone! :D). So we know that Mark at Reno can put a pair of demo/used 260.8s into a person’s hands for about $10K or a bit less. Using that as an upper limit, what else should I consider for a SS solution?
 

tony22

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Nov 4, 2019
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Pinging the community for help.
 

tony22

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Nov 4, 2019
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Yes, I had thought of these. I've read great things about the 60.8, but what sways me in the direction of the 260.8 had been a couple of conversations with Kent that seemed to swing in favor of the Class A/B. At least that was my interpretation of our conversations in this area. He felt that the top three amps he would look at for the VSA speakers would be (top to bottom preference) the Xs 350, the Xs 150, and then (while I'll admit he did hesitate a bit about this) the X260.8 monos. Since the Xs series is way out of my range it stregthened my feeling about the 260.8. But still, yes the 60.8 did weigh on my mind while I thought about this. I don't know of anyone who's personally heard both in the same system, so I don't know how close they'd sound to each other - one of the sites that did a review of the X250.8 compared it to the XA60.8 and found (what they said wer) only small differences in the vocal range.

The X260.8 doesn't seem to get noticed as much as the others - Kent felt they are the "unsung hero" of X .8 line. I asked him if that's because of what has been taken as references to the 260.8 as being a "home theater" amplifier. I didn't get a clear answer on that, but what he did make clear is that the 260.8 is in no way any less of a .8 amplifier as the others. It was designed as a monoblock X .8 series amp, with no less thoroughness and focus as the others.

I'll admit one thing that did worry me was that older Dagogo review of the X260.5, in which Papadimitriou felt the amp sounded like it was "holding back". I can't say I've heard such from any Pass amps I've heard in other people's systems.
 
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tony22

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Nov 4, 2019
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I hope I made the right choice. The pair of 260.8s should be here by Friday.
 

Kingrex

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Feb 3, 2019
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Well. How are are the 260.8
 

tony22

Well-Known Member
Nov 4, 2019
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My greatest apologies for the delay. I’ve been distracted with work an travel.

The following descriptions are in comparison to my AVA 600R, and the memory of my friend’s 250.5 on his system, which I’ve heard countless times.

I first did a volume check between the AVA amp and the Pass monos, using a 1 KHz tone. I discovered the Pass amps have about 3/4 dB more gain, so I had to compensate accordingly when listen across the amps. Bottom line? The Pass X260.8’s are better, there’s no doubt about that. They’re quieter, totally more pure, they’re smoother, and harmonically more developed. These deltas are small over the Van Alstine, but there enough to notice.

The thing is, the Pass amps are so matter of fact about how good they are they almost seem like they don’t care. They’re completely unflappable. Like they know they don’t have to try very hard. The 600R by comparison has a bit of “bite” behind it that makes you feel like the amp is “doing its part in creating what you hear”. I’ve discovered that the more I listen to the Pass, the more its almost laughably competent way it does things just sounds right.

The Pass, like I said, is more harmonically structured. In the low end I hear the bass textures more openly and with better detail, without sounding hard or lean. Articulation and textures top to bottom are just wonderful. All with a sense of ease and refinement that just makes it seem, like I said, like there’s nothing it can’t do.
 

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