MSB M202 compared to Pass XA.5

I have not heard another solid state amp that has the depth, tonality, linearity, and effortlessness of the XA.5. Many other amps sound flat, thin, brittle, restrained.

If an amp highlights an instrument in an unnatural manner, some people might mistake that for detail and accuracy.

Personally, I find the term neutrality to be a buzz word that has no meaning. Reviewers and manufacturers love to use it. When I sit in front of my system, the word neutral never comes to mind.

Mitch, herein lies the problem. Every-other-day, there is a reviewer or dealer touting some break-through product. These typically feature a designer with several decades experience in the aeronautical/space/defense industry, with translation of a very special material of mystical properties. First they try to convince us of the designers scrupples and higher moral standing, in addition to their ingenuity for setting new standards in quality, craftsmanship, and value. Then they say the entire listening experience has been redefined - more real than what they reviewed last month. Blah...blah...blah.