2. amps-preamps
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X250.5 vs X250.8

Has any one compared these two amps. Also has anyone compared the X1 preamp with the X22 preamp? I have an X1 and an X250.5 and they do sound quite nice with my Hales T5’s but I’m wondering what about the newer Pass Labs gear? My 16+ year old amp and preamp sound good but will the new stuff be that much nicer?  I recently upgraded my dac from a Perfectwave Mk2 to a Directstream and the improvement is obvious and dramatic. Any advice would be appreciated.
128x128mitchb
kingdeezie
92 posts
 
There has been mixed comparisons between the .5 and the .8 amplifiers. Some like one versus the other depending on the speaker and system. 
Until last month, when I traded it in for an XP-32, I had a 22 for 18 months. It is a great preamplifier. 
I think it would be a significant step up from your X-1. Each successive preamp iteration has gotten quieter and better sounding. 

I would reach out to Mark at Reno Hifi. He can send you out a 22 to try at home. If you like it, you keep it. If you don’t, you send it back. An in home demo for minus shipping. Mark is awesome and will steer you in the right direction. 
Good luck! Love my Pass!
ebm
9,311 posts
 
Right now Mark is mia hope he is ok.
mitchb's avatar
mitchb OP
334 posts
 
Thanks 
I’m actually waiting till Monday to try to get both the X250.8 and the X22 from Reno. I have left Mark a couple of emails and hopefully we can work something out on Monday. My X250.5 and X1 sound pretty good however. It would be nice to upgrade all these years later. I’ve just upgraded my dac and all my power cables with good success. Next week I upgrade my interconnects and speaker cables to Audio Art Statement to replace my Cardas Golden Reference cables. I’ve had good results with the Audio Art Statement e2plus power cables.
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