Pass Labs INT-25 Integrated amp paired with Harbeth 30.2 XD speakers

Alan Shaw at HARBETH pontificates that his creations are all agnostic when it comes to integrated amp pairings. But he also speaks like John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness about cables also being a non-factor.

As an owner of the 30.2XD’s, I don’t drink ANY of his KoolAid …. ( and neither does my dealer ..,,), Rather quite the opposite, because they all have their bespoke sonic signatures, and that ethereal system synergy quest requires some experimentation.

But WTF, to each his own ,,,, Carry on!

INTEGRATED AMP OPTIONS - my bespoke choice

In my system, I have them paired with a REGA OSIRIS integrated amp and all CARDAS CLEAR cables / CARDAS CLEAR & GOLDEN REFERENCE power cords.

FWIW, The REGA OSIRIS is a beefy 162 wpc / 62 lb weight and very high current choice that is a terrific stablemate to the 30.2XD’s.

When I further upgraded the cables, it was a further step-up in dynamics, slam, and performance.

Highly recommended on both counts 

MY TAKE

Some drive FORDs, and some drive CHEVYs. A large bevy of available high-current amp options will not disappoint with your XD’s . Shaw has created a fine product that is arguably the sweet spot in his model range.

When you are distilling out the integrated amp contenders from the pretenders, ignore the upfront power ratings at 8ohms and see what are the specs when the impedance drops to 4 ohms.

The “standard” marketing puffery pushes specifications that might say the output power is 100 watts RMS at 8 ohms. Notice the power output (100 watts) is at a specified load (8 ohms).

The above shows that for an ideal amp, halving the impedance doubles the power output if the power output nearly doubles, then you have a high current amp.

Akg_ca, good post. Just an observation. I think the Rega Osiris is 56 lbs, not 62 lbs.

Apart from looking at the power output at both 4 ohms and 8 ohms, I also look at the weight of the amp especially with Class A and AB. The heavier amps generally have a more robust power supply and construction, usually higher quality and high current.

I have that exact setup in my living room. Listening area is about 17’ x 13.5’, speakers along the long wall, 18 - 24 inches from the wall, into the room.

For reference, I live in a coop building outside of NYC so…in the evenings I don’t get past maybe 78db peaks. Was listening to Muddy Waters (sorry, forgot which, just shut my stereo off for the night) and I happened to check how loud the peaks were. Just playing around. When the volume on the INT 25 was at 42 or 43 I was getting peaks of 77 and 78 db. I think at 48 or 49 I’d be getting a knock on the door. The volume on the INT25 goes up to 63. I hear no degradation at higher volumes.

Hope that helps a bit. Btw it’s the most realistic reproduction of my kind of music (jazz, blues, piano, acoustic guitar, etc) that I can remember in my home since I had Quad ESL63’s paired with a big CJ 140 tube amp years ago).

@routeman21 I’m interested in the same config. Did you choose the int-25 or went with something different?

Far from an ideal power/performance match, not advisable.

I also like the Harbeth + Hegel sonic synergy