Are Pass Labs amps probably the best ever you can buy ?


I have about 15k to spend on an amp/preamp/integrated amp.

I mostly listen to smooth jazz like Dave Koz, Rippingtons, Brian Culbertson etc.... and loud.

I have yet to hear any amp that comes close to Pass Labs.

Your experiences pls ?
128x128cakyol

Showing 1 response by soundhound

There are a number of great amplifiers out there, both tube and solid state, for a range of prices.  I have been lucky enough to have many of them from ARC and CJ tubes to a number of Rowland, Levinson, Krell and, yes, Pass Labs amps including most recently the XA100.5's.  I have not owned the 0.8 series Pass amps yet.  Having said that, a critical factor for most amps remains the speaker-amp interaction.  I have ML CLX's and Pass Labs has recommended the larger X 0.8 amps which they feel are better suited to driving the CLX's than the XA series due to its need for higher voltage and amperage as well as its punishing impedance curve.  Your taste in music and in what aspects of music reproduction  are most important to you are obviously critical as well; no amp or speaker is perfect.  This sounds trite, but I really think that you need to hear your speakers with the amps under consideration.  Others have opinions, but you may not share them.