I can't comment on either amp you're considering but I had a pair of the Emotivas on hand for a couple of weeks. I directly compared them to a Theta Intrepid and a Cambridge Audio 840W. Speakers were BG Corp 520dx or Meadowlark Audio Herons (hot rod version). My cables are all DIY but they are quite good and all plugs on the power cords are either Oyaide 046 or IeGO's top 8095. Sources included a Modwright Oppo BDP-83SE with tubed power supply or a Cambridge 851C both driving the amp(s) directly. The Theta was run 4 channel to biamp each speaker.
To make it brief, the Emotiva amps were clearly outclassed by both the Theta and the Cambridge. The Emotiva bass was full and I could see some speakers sounding better, bass-wise, with the Emotiva over the Theta but, the Cambridge had a much tighter, more articulate bass range with greater impact. No comparison there. And that was the closest the Emotivas got to either of the other amps.
The Emotivas were considerably less detailed than the others with less distinct image outlines and never created any sense of depth in my systems. They were always 2-D and never palpable but that's not to say they weren't musical. They were always pleasant to listen to but, compared to the Theta and the Cambridge, they weren't at all engaging as I was always aware that I was missing quite a bit. Pulling the Emotivas from your system for the Pass should be a big upgrade if you've good enough cabling (junk cables are always a bottleneck in a potentially good system). I haven't heard the Bryston you mentioned but wasn't impressed with the 4BST as it just sounded dry to me (but that's been many years ago).
To make it brief, the Emotiva amps were clearly outclassed by both the Theta and the Cambridge. The Emotiva bass was full and I could see some speakers sounding better, bass-wise, with the Emotiva over the Theta but, the Cambridge had a much tighter, more articulate bass range with greater impact. No comparison there. And that was the closest the Emotivas got to either of the other amps.
The Emotivas were considerably less detailed than the others with less distinct image outlines and never created any sense of depth in my systems. They were always 2-D and never palpable but that's not to say they weren't musical. They were always pleasant to listen to but, compared to the Theta and the Cambridge, they weren't at all engaging as I was always aware that I was missing quite a bit. Pulling the Emotivas from your system for the Pass should be a big upgrade if you've good enough cabling (junk cables are always a bottleneck in a potentially good system). I haven't heard the Bryston you mentioned but wasn't impressed with the 4BST as it just sounded dry to me (but that's been many years ago).