I had a pass 250.8 and loved it, it did run hot and in a 13x24 listening room that at the time had no ventilation it'd heat the room up fom 63 to 74 after a couple of hours in the winter (it's a dedicated listening room in the basement). In the summer though it got even hotter because the room started out at 68 degrees. I eventually sold it haldf due to the heat and half due to just wanting to change to something else. Fast forward to last month and I bought a pass xa 30.8 to run on my Martin Logan ESL 15A- and it's sweet. Two years ago I installed a mini split in the room so now have no issue with heat. The XA30.8 seems to run cooler than the 250.8 even though it runs at around 30 Class A watts all the time. The 350.8 will throw some heat for sure, if you have ventilation in case the room gets too warm then you'd be fine. They're great sounding amps. My other amp in the same room is an ARC REF160s and that throws some heat too!
Pass Labs Amps - Does the heat bother you?
I am very intrigued by pass amplifiers (NOT the intergateds). I have heard many good things about them. However, I also have heard from many people that they get really hot. I am interested in the stereo amps.... like the X350.
Curious, if you own one or used to own one... how do/did you deal with the heat? I wouldn’t want it heating up my living room where the AC runs more (which kills my music enjoyment session).
Also, I usually leave my amp on from 5:00 pm till I go to bed (anywhere from 9:00 pm to 12 am). Not sure how that would come into play if a pass labs would be a good fit for me.
- ...
- 97 posts total
Pass amps come in two flavors. The X model amps are A/B and produce little heat... less than your 65 in. flatscreen TV. The XA models are class A and make more significant heat. I use a C-J class A tube amp... so it really makes noticeable heat. Here in Florida the AC is running anyway so don’t notice it and the sound is fantastic. If you really like the sound, a bit of heat will not bother you. But, since you are already fussing about it, the heat potential will likely never leave your mind. Maybe its time to move on to another class A/B or D amp. Also, solid state amps actually last longer if left on as they avoid the stress of start up surge. |
@coppy777 what 65 inch flatscreen uses hundreds of watts?- OP asked about a Pass X350 class amp or similar. The X350.8 I had ran hot 🥵 and burned over 500 watts just sitting there. My Pass XA30.5 (class A) used less than half the idle current as the 350.
|
- 97 posts total