Pass Labs .8 Series!

[mikey8811]

Anyone compared the XA30.8, X250.8 and X350.8? Looking at getting one of these beasts. Currently using an Ayre QX-5 Twenty as a dac/preamp and a pair of Vivid Giya G3

You need a bit of grunt for the Vivid's don't you? I've heard they aren't easy to drive. That probably puts the XA30.8 out of the picture.

 

[Saxguy]

Well, I've joined the club. Earlier this year I purchased Sonus Faber Il Cremonese for my mains and I was (foolishly) running them with an Ayre VX-5 Twenty. Although the speakers are rated at 92db efficient, the Ayre did nothing to show what the speakers could do. After speaking with multiple people the common amplifier I kept hearing about for the speakers was the Pass Labs X350.8. I was speaking with one dealer and he had recommended a pair of XA160.8s or the X350.8. Since I blew all my audio budget on the Il Cremones, I'll have to slum it with the X350.8

It arrives on wednesday and I'm pretty excited. Preamp will be a Don Sachs Pre 2 which is currently being built. Source is a Lumin S1. I'm running Audioquest WEL Signature interconnects and Redwood speaker cables, but I'm going to try to make a few pairs of Duelund 20ga single ended interconnects and try some Duelund cable to hook up the speakers. I hear there's magic in them there wires Maybe if I sell the Audioquest cables I can upgrade to the 160.8s

 

[twitch]

Sax, congrats on the 350.8, you won't be disappointed !

 

[mikey8811]

Well, I've joined the club. Earlier this year I purchased Sonus Faber Il Cremonese for my mains and I was (foolishly) running them with an Ayre VX-5 Twenty. Although the speakers are rated at 92db efficient, the Ayre did nothing to show what the speakers could do. After speaking with multiple people the common amplifier I kept hearing about for the speakers was the Pass Labs X350.8. I was speaking with one dealer and he had recommended a pair of XA160.8s or the X350.8. Since I blew all my audio budget on the Il Cremones, I'll have to slum it with the X350.8

It arrives on wednesday and I'm pretty excited. Preamp will be a Don Sachs Pre 2 which is currently being built. Source is a Lumin S1. I'm running Audioquest WEL Signature interconnects and Redwood speaker cables, but I'm going to try to make a few pairs of Duelund 20ga single ended interconnects and try some Duelund cable to hook up the speakers. I hear there's magic in them there wires Maybe if I sell the Audioquest cables I can upgrade to the 160.8s

You must be Heavy G from Audioshark as I saw your listing of the VX 5 Twenty.

Please let us know how the X350.8 compares to the VX 5 Twenty.

 

[RickS]

Pics posted in wrong thread. My bad!

 

[Bob Heinatz]

The .8 was released almost 7 years ago is there any rumors of a new series of Pass amps? That's a pretty long shelf life and Pass nerver sits idle. What do you Pass fans think?

 

[Don C]

Pass labs takes 10 or 12 years between new models.
There is some debate between whether the new models are a small or large improvement if any at all.
The point 5 models have fans that prefer them over the point 8.

 

[BlueFox]

I didn't realize that .8 had been out so long. I bought my 600.5 amps around 2016, and the .8 version wasn't out at that time.

 

[Jpspock]

600.8 was already released in 2016...

 

[Alpinist]

Pass labs takes 10 or 12 years between new models.
There is some debate between whether the new models are a small or large improvement if any at all.
The point 5 models have fans that prefer them over the point 8.

I owned both the XA-100.5 and the XA-100.8 (two different pairs) and I preferred the XA-100.5 by a large margin. The XA-100.8 to my ears lacked the Class A Magic of the XA-100.5 and had boosted up bass to the point that I had to turn down my Vandersteen 7 Mk2 subwoofers. The XA-100.5 bass was much more neutral and enjoyable. If I hadn’t traded in my XA-100.5, I would probably still own them, they were that great.

Ken

 

[BlueFox]

600.8 was already released in 2016...

Thanks. I wonder why Reno didn’t have them predominantly listed. Anyway, I love the 600.5 version.

 

[Jpspock]

I bought my xa160.5 in january 2016, and it was a new build from scracth by Pass. They stopped thé production of the version .5 in september 2015, and .8 did exist already at least sincèrement two years. It was my dream to get à pair of xa160.5 to replace my beloved xa100.5.
so I bought thé last new one. Now I have read that many customers prefered the version.5, reason why you can still again buy amp version.5

 

[PeterA]

I bought my xa160.5 in january 2016, and it was a new build from scracth by Pass. They stopped thé production of the version .5 in september 2015, and .8 did exist already at least sincèrement two years. It was my dream to get à pair of xa160.5 to replace my beloved xa100.5.
so I bought thé last new one. Now I have read that many customers prefered the version.5, reason why you can still again buy amp version.5

I also went from the 100.5 to the 160.5. It was a nice improvement for my inefficient speakers. There was a short time when both amplifier lines were available out of the factory. Yes, a lot of people prefer the .5 to the .8. I had both in my system for a direct comparison and I preferred the .5 But in a friends system we did the direct comparison with the same two amplifiers and he preferred the .8 and so did I With his speakers.

I found the 160.8 to focus on the transient rather than the decay and it was a dryer sounding amplifier. I think a lot depends on system context and personal taste. Same with the XA versus the X.

 

[slowGEEZR]

I also went from the 100.5 to the 160.5. It was a nice improvement for my inefficient speakers. There was a short time when both amplifier lines were available out of the factory. Yes, a lot of people prefer the .5 to the .8. I had both in my system for a direct comparison and I preferred the .5 But in a friends system we did the direct comparison with the same two amplifiers and he preferred the .8 and so did I With his speakers.

I found the 160.8 to focus on the transient rather than the decay and it was a dryer sounding amplifier. I think a lot depends on system context and personal taste. Same with the XA versus the X.

I think you hit the nail on the head Peter. It's dependent upon the speakers. I feel no need to update my XA100.5s as they work wonderfully with my WP8s! A friend tried a pair of the 100.5s with his system and the bass was poor through his speakers.

 

[rbbert]

I just bought a refurbished XA-30.5 (dirt cheap from my local "dealer") to go in the home theater with my Daedalus Ulysses. I used to drive those in a different room with my INT-60, so I'm anxious to hear the new system, but it's a couple of months away (at least) awaiting completion of a major home remodel.

 

[Mikem53]

I didn't realize that .8 had been out so long. I bought my 600.5 amps around 2016, and the .8 version wasn't out at that time.

Nelson Pass says he will continue to make the .5 amps if there is a demand for it, even after the newer version is out.

 

[PeterA]

Nelson Pass says he will continue to make the .5 amps if there is a demand for it, even after the newer version is out.

I found the XS 150 to be a very nice blend of the sonic attributes of the XA160 .5 and .8. All compared in a friends system.

 

[alfa100]

I owned both the XA-100.5 and the XA-100.8 (two different pairs) and I preferred the XA-100.5 by a large margin. The XA-100.8 to my ears lacked the Class A Magic of the XA-100.5 and had boosted up bass to the point that I had to turn down my Vandersteen 7 Mk2 subwoofers. The XA-100.5 bass was much more neutral and enjoyable. If I hadn’t traded in my XA-100.5, I would probably still own them, they were that great.

Ken

I got the 100.8 expecting them to be more neutral than the Xa 100.5 in the bass. I could not demo either but read somewhere that the newer .8 were more neutral. I needed room treatment to tone down upper bass. So maybe the .5 is better after all. Too late now

 

[PeterA]

I got the 100.8 expecting them to be more neutral than the Xa 100.5 in the bass. I could not demo either but read somewhere that the newer .8 were more neutral. I needed room treatment to tone down upper bass. So maybe the .5 is better after all. Too late now

I was able to fine tune tonal balance including upper base energy with speaker placement. If you have room to pull the speakers out from the front wall or adjust the spacing between them, That might help. You’ll find lots of people who prefer the .8 to the .5 and vice a versa.

Then again it might be something like cables or power cords. Room treatment is fine as long as it doesn’t remove information we’re over dampen the sound. In my opinion.

 

[alfa100]

I was able to fine tune tonal balance including upper base energy with speaker placement. If you have room to pull the speakers out from the front wall or adjust the spacing between them, That might help. You’ll find lots of people who prefer the .8 to the .5 and vice a versa.

Then again it might be something like cables or power cords. Room treatment is fine as long as it doesn’t remove information we’re over dampen the sound. In my opinion.

I repositioned the speakers and added Heimholtz resonators. Room was the problem. All sorted and sounds great