First Watt to Pass Labs


I am considering buying a First Watt or Pass Labs preamp and amp. I've never compared the units side by side, but I see the benefit of the First Watt simple circuit approach.

So I am confused to see some Audiogoners selling their First Watt gear and moving to Pass Labs gear.

Would you please share your thoughts on the transition? Did you just need more power? Does one sound better than the other? I realize it's all subjective, but curious to hear your thoughts.

Also, if anyone has compared the First Watt amps and preamps to the Pass Labs amps and preamps, I'd be curious to hear your thoughts. Thanks!
bigamp
The First Watt amps ARE very speaker specific, and Pass or Reno Hifi one of their main distributors will be the first to tell you that. If you've low power requirements, i.e., Abby's, or a pair of monitors then sure one can hardly do better than a First Watt amp.

Observing more first generation First Watt first amps on the used market of late I assumed was attributed to the fact that Pass made a major design change with the use of mosfets. I was considering buying a used F1 a month back. An email to Pass requesting the cost for the upgrade received a reply stating Pass isn't even allowing upgrades to those first generation amps until all first generation buyers have had the opportunity to upgrade their amps. In other words, I as a second owner couldn't upgrade the amp. I first thought that's fair, until I observed upgraded first generation First Watt amps available en mass from distributor Reno Hifi. So obviously dealers get the head of the line too. Sonically speaking First Watt matches well with single source driver speakers. But they'll not drive 65% of speakers on the market, hence the reason for distributor's offering a 'buy and try' sales strategy.
Great thread. I'm very interested in the First watt amps as well. Luckily, I have 107 db efficient horns and just assumed that the First Watt amps would sound better on efficient loudspeakers. Is that the case? Has anyone actually compared First Watt's offerings to Pass's offerings with efficient loudspeakers? Also, has anyone comapred the First Watt F3 to the new M2? If so, what are the sonic differences?
I listened to the following Pass amps:

-FW J2
-FW F3
-Pass 350.5

And I have to say the J2 was the best in MY system. For 107 DB, the F3 should be awesome if the output impedience works. My Hovland needed more tan the F3.

Mark at Reno hifi is a great guy. Call him up, and audition a few amps to make your choice.
Also, 6 Moons reviewed and compared all the First Watt amps. Check out the site.
I would call Reno Hi-Fi and ask. Mark at Reno Hi-Fi owns and has ecperience with high efficiency horns matched to both Pass and First Watt amplifiers