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Best SS Amp - Pass Labs X350.8 vs. Luxman M900u vs. Ayre VX-R Twenty

I’m in the market for a used SS Stereo amplifier for about $8k-10k range, in the used market.

Source: Oppo BDP-105
Speakers: Tyler Acoustics Linbrook System II with 89db & 8 ohm.

The next step would be to add a Tube Preamp to connect my Nakamichi RX-505 tape deck.

Out of the following, which one do you recommend & why? I would prefer feedback from anyone who has compared any of these combination of Amps.
  • Pass Labs X350.8
  • Luxman M900u
  • Ayre VX-R Twenty
  • Jeff Rowland 625 s2
Later on the plan is to build a HT system & will add Amp for surround & center.

hitsofmisses

Showing 4 responses by hitsofmisses

hitsofmisses OP
50 posts
 
Thanks everyone for your replies. I searched for Coda, Hegel, Gryphon, etc. Most I could find was Integrated or nothing. 
The others, I never heard of them before. Which makes it more than likely that it’ll be a difficult to resell later on. 
I prefer someone to provide their comments based on sort of a/b comparison with any of the 4 Amps I listed above. 
hitsofmisses OP
50 posts
 

Forgot to mention, my setup will be used 70% of the time for HT & 30% for Music. I’ll be eventually adding a Tube PreAmp & another Amp for the remaining 3 channels for HT.

@jjss49 : I agree with you. The 5 figure price factor limits the marketability of an Amp. And when the brand/ model doesn’t have a solid following or recognition, it further reduces your possibility to sell.

Another factor is at what % price you got your product. Assume there are Two similarly speced products at $20k MSRP & are normally available used between $10-11k. Out of those if you end up getting one at say $7.5k, I would jump on that because that’s a good value.

@ keithr : I usually listen to Male Vocals. If m900u doesn’t have the desired bass, will using a powered sub compensate for the low frequency?
 

And the last point, it’s not possible to audition 2 Amps side-by-side when you’re shopping around in the used market. So that possibility is ruled out. Henced asking here in the forum to people who are way more experienced than me. 

hitsofmisses OP
50 posts
 

After a lot of deliberation & a little hesitation, I ended up buying the Luxman m900u.

 

I'll update you after I plug it in but not sure how much that will help as I haven't listened to any of the Amps discussed here. The only comparison I can make is with my previously owned Parasound Halo A51.

hitsofmisses OP
50 posts
 

Thank you Ryder & everyone who shared their experiences/ insights to guide me in this process. It's the most expensive Amplifier I never dreamt I'll ever own. I stretched my budget to my wildest dream. And I still have a bunch of toys on my list to complete my HT/ Music setup. 😊

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