First let me state that I am a Pass dealer so there is already a preconceived bias since that is the line I chose to carry.
I have had all the amps that you are considering in house. They all have strengths and all of them work fine with tube
preamps. In the Reference room in our showroom we use the X 600's and the X 250 with either a First Sound Paramount or a Red Rose signature preamp. We of course also have tube mono blocks in the room.
My opinion would be Rowland or Pass but realize you will pay more for Rowland because they start at a higher price to begin with. There have been a few threads that the Rowland amps maybe a touch more musical than the Pass. I would use the term a touch more delicate and because of that I personally find that with the tube preamps that I have in house that the Pass is a better match than the Rowland. Now with different tube preamps that may not be the case I can only offer what I have heard.
The best thing of any of these lines is that any of these amps should last you as long as you desire to keep them. Which in the audiophile world is usually not very long!
Good luck.
I have had all the amps that you are considering in house. They all have strengths and all of them work fine with tube
preamps. In the Reference room in our showroom we use the X 600's and the X 250 with either a First Sound Paramount or a Red Rose signature preamp. We of course also have tube mono blocks in the room.
My opinion would be Rowland or Pass but realize you will pay more for Rowland because they start at a higher price to begin with. There have been a few threads that the Rowland amps maybe a touch more musical than the Pass. I would use the term a touch more delicate and because of that I personally find that with the tube preamps that I have in house that the Pass is a better match than the Rowland. Now with different tube preamps that may not be the case I can only offer what I have heard.
The best thing of any of these lines is that any of these amps should last you as long as you desire to keep them. Which in the audiophile world is usually not very long!
Good luck.