Pass XA 160 review:life span is 6 years?

There are many X-series for sale because the XA series is out. Caps are usually the only long term maintenance issues for these big solid state amps. The higher biased the amp runs into Class A, the better it sounds (IMHO). However, the higher biasing leads to more heat, and eventual cap replacement is required. If you have a $5-10K amp, and figure you have to replace the caps every 10-20 years (depending on use and bias), that's still a lot less maintenance than tubes. Replacing the caps cost is between $200-$800 once shipping is factored in.

If you don't turn the amp on the caps will last longer.......just a thought.

Cheers,
John

Guidocorona, I stand corrected. The XA series does run a higher Class A bias though, correct?
When will Pass come out with black faceplates? I'm a fan of Nelson Pass' design work, but I'm no fan of the Pass aesthetics. They could lose those meters also.

IMHO, once you go Class A there is no going back. That's probably why I prefer the sound of the older Krell/Threshold/Levinson/Pass amps. I thought the Aleph models sounded better than the X-series. I'll have to give the XA's a listen.