Suggestions to match a pair of speakers to Pass Labs XA25?
I upgraded recently from an integrated amp (Musical Fidelity M3i) to a XA25 power amp. I also chose the Pass Labs XP12 pre-amp for good measure - Wow, not the same world! I mostly play LPs (RP3), stream Tidal through Bluesound 2i hooked to a Brooklyn DAC+, and enjoy my old Marantz CD player.
When I bought the M3i 10 years ago or so, I picked a nice pair of PSB Image T6 - They sound great, though a bit bright with the M3I. Hooked to the new Pass Labs setup, they sound much much better... but I feel I'm missing satisfying "sound", stage/image, better definition, that plus that would make me smile broadly.
I've read many reviews, went to the CAF 2019 in the DC area... But I'm stuck about high efficiency speakers: Horn or not? I used to be a DJ with horn speakers to get the crowds go wild, so perhaps Klipsch would do great, but then I read about Zu (Soul Supreme) and I don't know anymore. I'm a firm believer that size matters, so bookshelf speakers are not for me. My budget is 4K-6K, and I believe that should be plenty to upgrade from the PSBs. Getting 3 or 4 pairs home to try out and return them will end up costing me some dollars, so narrowing it down to a couple would be nice. Any suggestions?
When I bought the M3i 10 years ago or so, I picked a nice pair of PSB Image T6 - They sound great, though a bit bright with the M3I. Hooked to the new Pass Labs setup, they sound much much better... but I feel I'm missing satisfying "sound", stage/image, better definition, that plus that would make me smile broadly.
I've read many reviews, went to the CAF 2019 in the DC area... But I'm stuck about high efficiency speakers: Horn or not? I used to be a DJ with horn speakers to get the crowds go wild, so perhaps Klipsch would do great, but then I read about Zu (Soul Supreme) and I don't know anymore. I'm a firm believer that size matters, so bookshelf speakers are not for me. My budget is 4K-6K, and I believe that should be plenty to upgrade from the PSBs. Getting 3 or 4 pairs home to try out and return them will end up costing me some dollars, so narrowing it down to a couple would be nice. Any suggestions?
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Tri-Art B Series 5. I have a pair coming this week. I have read many at prior Axpona shows preferred this to Spatial and Pure Audio Project. Apparently these speakers compare to those in the 10-15k price range. Tri-Art makes turntables and seems they prefer analog. Sound like it’s right up your alley. https://www.triartaudio.com/?page_id=3983https://www.dagogo.com/tri-art-audio-series-b-system-review/ Review here. https://www.dagogo.com/tri-art-audio-series-b-system-review/ |
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+1 Spatial Audio M3 Sapphire or LSA-20 if you’re buying new. If you’re open to used, both the Joseph Audio Perspective and Nola KO2 (both $12k+ MSRP) are available now right around $6k and image/soundstage like crazy. The T6 is a nice speaker, but these are at another level and your XA25 should be fine to drive either. Best of luck. |
I had both a Pass XA25 and a First Watt SIT-3. The XA25 was a great match for my Bache Audio Tribeca’s. Very open and holographic and balanced from top to bottom. Not bright at all. With the Eton woofers the speaker is a 4 ohm load and 93db sensitivity. I actually liked the amps better with my Tribeca’s than my Quad 57s. I also used the XA25 with my pair of Audio Physic Tempo Plus speakers. This was also a nice matchup. It’s a warmer sound with pinpoint imaging but can sound a bit flat sounding compared to the Bache’s. |
Thank you all, this is very helpful. I really appreciate your input, especially when you explain your reasoning. JospehAudio is high on my list, but they are expensive... The Open-baffle is a good option, but I'd need to listen to them first - I was not subjugated by them at CAF19, or perhaps they were just so expensive. The NOLA are huge (just like the
Tri-Art B Series 5) and would not fit in my living room - Very impressive!! I never heard of the
Bache Audio Tribeca
and they could be a very nice option indeed. And then Tekton of course - I have to think more about that brand. Finally, I find it interesting that there not more kudos for Klipsch Cornwall IV... |
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