I can't say I have tried that many combinations of preamps but I have been very happy with my Pass X-1 pre and X-250 amp combination. For years I had been using a Camelot D/A converter with volume control as my pre and really enjoyed the transparency and delicacy of the sound. Replacing the Camelot with the Pass X-1 sacrificed ever so slightly the transparency but what really surprised me was the fullness of the sound and quality of the bass. Better than my older BAT VK3i pre but with more transparency.
Call me picky but my only nits are with the functionality of the units. The remotes are big, chunky, aluminum bricks with four buttons that mimick the front panel controls; except for volume. So if you have the display turned off and you want to change the volume with the remote you have to turn the display on, scroll through all the functions to the volume setting, then change the volume. If you want the display off again you then must scroll back to display and turn off. Not that big a deal but a dedicated volume control on the remote would have eliminated all that. BAT preamps on the other hand have some of the best remotes I have ever used. Yes.... I'm lazy.
Sound quality is great, solid while being very transparent. I love the Industrial design. Needs a dedicated volume control on the remote. Very happy with the purchase.
Call me picky but my only nits are with the functionality of the units. The remotes are big, chunky, aluminum bricks with four buttons that mimick the front panel controls; except for volume. So if you have the display turned off and you want to change the volume with the remote you have to turn the display on, scroll through all the functions to the volume setting, then change the volume. If you want the display off again you then must scroll back to display and turn off. Not that big a deal but a dedicated volume control on the remote would have eliminated all that. BAT preamps on the other hand have some of the best remotes I have ever used. Yes.... I'm lazy.
Sound quality is great, solid while being very transparent. I love the Industrial design. Needs a dedicated volume control on the remote. Very happy with the purchase.