sm2727

Responses from sm2727

Have you tried Pass Labs XA's before?
You have aleph 2's and are considering an XA? Did you marry rich...get an new job? If so please adopt me so I can listen to the XA's. 
Pass Labs X1 vs. X2.5
Keithr has an ax to grind. Must be a solid state phobe. Sorry buddy. 
Pass Labs ALEPH 5 vs ALEPH 2
I've had the 5 and the 2 and now have the 1.2 Alephs. The two is the best sounding of the bunch if you have sensitive speaker, the right room etc. The 2 has 100 watts per side and the 5 has 60 per side. The 2's are like having two 5's in terms of ... 
Pass Labs X2.5 - vs. - Placette Active Preamps
I had a placette volume control...no gain...and loved it. Wish I had it back. I have no experience wth the active placette. 
Matching preamp for Pass Labs Aleph 5
I would suggest th Adcom 750. I think it was GP 750. Very simple Pass design. I had one for a whil, loved it then went with a dac with a volume control. I have the aleph 1.2's. Good luck 
Alternatives to Pass Labs
Nelson Pass worked for a company called N.E.W. They are out of business, but they were a tremendous value. Class A operation, push-pull bi-polar amps. They had a ten watt, twenty and a sixty I believe. They also had a battery operated dc amp at 60... 
Pass Labs X350 vs. McIntosh MC402
I've owned the 350 and have auditioned many McIntosh amps. I've also spent many years listening to the Big Macs at a friends house. The Pass is a higher resolution amp, although the Mac has gained ground in that area in the last couple of years. I... 
Better amps SS PASS XA200 or EDGE Signature.
Look at the technology. I've had both Aleph and X series amps from Pass. If the XA does anything like it is designed to do, nothing will come close. The Edge is a nice amp that errs on the soft side. Other than the lazer biasing (which is another ... 
DCS Verdi Elgar Purcell VS. Audio Aero Capitole
I have had the Audio Aero and now have dcs gear. Anyone who says the Aero is better is either a dealer or has an ax to grind. If accuracy is what you want...then check with the studio market...yes...the people who make music...and you will find yo... 
Perpetual Tech Dac vs DCS or Wadia Dacs
I've had them all. 861X, Perp Tech. and DCS. My guess is that the assoc. gear is the issue here. In my opinion, the dcs gear is in a class by itself along with the Wadia separates. The up-sampler is the ticket(P1-A) for the Perp Tech. My vote woul...