Pass XS-150's
- Thread starter rockitman
- Start date
Bump for Xs amp updates ...
Still a little early for me Joe. I'm breaking in the 300s along with the XP30 and XP25. Plus I plugged in the upgraded Audience Ar6TSS conditioner I got back today. The system does sound fantastic already though. I had been listening to the XP30 with both the ARC Ref 610s and the Pass XA100.5. What I'm listening to right now has already surpassed by a wide margin previous configurations. Including when I had the ARC Anniversary preamp installed. Across the board, clarity, focus, imaging, air, space, bass definition. I find it hard to believe it's still going to get better! Lucky me!
Frank,
I am very happy for you. I was just going to "settle" for the XA100.5's (or XA160.5's) but have to believe the Xs-150 will be head and shoulders above them. What do you think? Wait for the Xs-150's? I absolutely love my XP-30 preamp.
The XA100.5 is a great amp. The XS is in another league all together. But it should be for the price!! XS=excess
XS300 Update
The amps and preamp have been running 24/7 for the past 8 days. I've spent most waking hours running vinyl through the phono amp. The XP25 now has about 68 hours on it. Until last night I was extremely disappointed. Finally it started to smooth out a bit and I heard some bass for the first time in a week yesterday. Today is a different story all together. It is starting to get really exciting!!
The amps and preamp have been running 24/7 for the past 8 days. I've spent most waking hours running vinyl through the phono amp. The XP25 now has about 68 hours on it. Until last night I was extremely disappointed. Finally it started to smooth out a bit and I heard some bass for the first time in a week yesterday. Today is a different story all together. It is starting to get really exciting!!
It will all come together seamlessly Frank. It has in my system. Glad things are improving. It's got to be tough breaking in so many new components at once.
I'm going from hearsay, but I understand that one area of significant improvement in the XS over the XA100.5 is in the area of noise reduction. Compared to the XA.5 line, the XS has vanishingly low levels of noise and grain. As a result, everything is easier to hear and music sounds much more natural. Is this what Frank and Christian are hearing? Owning the XA160.5, I'm having trouble imagining that it can get much better. I'm not sure I want to hear the new amps. My friend described his experience comparing the XP-30 to my XP-20 as follows: "You don't know what you are missing until you hear it." I know what he means, and I'm afraid to have that experience knowing I won't be able to afford them. You guys are lucky, and I'm really envious. Congratulations again.
These amps are incredibly quiet and every detail is heard, many I haven't heard before on familiar recordings. They are truly an incredible listening experience.
I don't want to be accused of hyperbole but I've had the xp20 and xp30 side by side. The xs/xa comparison is no xp20/xp30 scenario. Unbelievably to me, the delta in performance between amps is staggering! I can't believe what has happened in my listening room just since my last post. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting but I didn't think what I'm hearing right now was remotely possible. You really have to hear it for yourself.
So my left channel stack is going back to Pass....what a drag. When I turn the amps to full power and even with the preamp volume at zero, I hear a tube like sputtering white noise sound. Initially it would go away in 15 seconds, now it's started intermittently making that sound when listening. Talk about inconvenience..
At least I still have a Mark Levinson 27.5 to tie me over until the amp comes back.
At least I still have a Mark Levinson 27.5 to tie me over until the amp comes back.
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