Audio Research and Wilson Sabrina

I agree that the newer X amps... like the .8 have better rhythm and pace, but still fall short in midrange bloom and natural articulated bass. 

@ghdprentice Pass bass is what it is. I’ve been living with the Boulder 866 integrated for a year and a half now. It’s got a very firm grip on Sabrina’s bottom end (couldn’t resist the pun). And is extraordinarily musical. Dead quiet non existent noise floor and natural sound that’s never in your face. As always, associated equipment, cables and room acoustics matter. I can make my system sound absolutely horrible by just swapping cables. 

Power is critical with these speakers. Can’t compare Sabrinas to older Sophia that you could drive with a 25w tube amp. Same goes to Watt/Puppy that people used to drive with low power tube amps. 

I also dislike noisy components and distortion. Tube rush and whooshing fans would just piss me off. No midrange bloom could ever compensate for this. I’m hoping ARC has this under control. 

Maybe I'm deaf but I never heard the fans on the REF110 I used to have. I tried everything to make the Pass sound good.  Different tubes, cables, speaker positioning etc... Zero luck.  I suppose we hear differently or not like the same sound. I do wish I had purchased the 30.8 and not the 150.8.

Pass is way too long in a tooth with the .8. Hopefully something new and innovative is in the works. Something a little more transparent in Class A that doesn’t moonlight as a space heater. That would be nice.