Is the Pass Labs X350.5 and X1 "warm"?


Hi, I have some great things about these Pass Labs components. I think I even read that they have some tube like qualities. I am looking for a setup that is slightly on the warm side of neutral and slightly laid back to compliment some very revealing and dynamic speakers. I wouild greatly appreciate anyone's real world experience with these Pass Labs components.
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Showing 2 responses by tonyptony

"The X1 is not a warm preamp. To my ears, it has a rather clinical and bare midrange that does not have a cohesiveness to it. Voices do not sound "whole", they sound pieced together."

Kevziek, I'm not sure I understand this. I've been using an X1 since the beginning of the year and find it hard to come to terms with what you've indicated. Been in the high end for well on 20 years, heard all the great stuff (and tried a lot of it in my own system), blah, blah, blah. My best friend uses the Full Function Quicksilver preamp, another FetValve hybrid amp, and the same speakers as me. Does his system produce a better midrange than mine? Hard to say. I could live happily with either system, but in comparison I would not call the X1's mids "clinical and bare". Could you relate the listening configuration that led to this assessment? Could you also recommend a piece of music that you used which pointed this out? I'd like very much to try it on my system.

Believe me, I'm not saying that the X1 is the greatest thing in the world - no piece of audio gear is. But IMO it's a pretty darned good preamp.
Kevziek, I may not have expressed myself clearly. I did not say there was no difference between the two; what I did say was that I could be happy with either one. Either has its strengths and weaknesses. Yes, they are different, but your description of the X1 midrange implies it is of a significant deficit in comparison to other high end preamps. I have not found this to be the case.

I actually listen to a lot of live music, and your point about cymbals and high hats is interesting. That's an area that I've paid some notice to on my system. Now I'll caveat everything with taking into account listening to a recording versus live, different acoustic space, et al, that the reproduction of things like cymbals and high hats now sound closer to the real thing (in my system) than before - in both tonal and spatial qualities.