Comparisons between Pass Labs and Pass/Threshold


Can anyone offer listening comparisons between any of the new Pass Lab amplifiers and the older Pass-designed Threshold equipment? I presently own both the Pass/Threshold S300 and the S550e, the former purchased new and the latter purchased used/mint. Those are the two older Pass amps I know best. Do they have close counterparts in Pass Labs amps? Is it worth trading up? Those are the kinds of questions I am most interested in. Thanks much.
jdh9
steve,you mentioned the amp is 30 wpc.Are you sure you meant the O's and not the aleph-3?
David - Good catch! Don't know what I was thinking... Thanks...

The amp was definitely the 0s and it puts out 40 watts per channel...

JDH9 - Looks like you have a nice system! Pack a good lunch for the drive!!!! It'll be well worth it!!!! I'd be very interested in hearing what you think about the X stuff... My nearest dealer is ~2 hours away and that's also why I've yet to hear them....

Steve
I can vouch for the Pass 0s. It blew away any solid state amp I compared it to. I heard friends jaws hitting the floor when my Martin Logan Quest's started playing. I would set them up by telling them it was "only" a 40 watt amp. Other amps that I also have enjoyed are a Plinius SA-100 MKIII and an ARC 100.2 both at 100 watts per channel. Since I own a pair of Coincident Partial Eclipse speakers, I can drive them with an AES DJH Superamp and have not even considered solid state. Good luck finding a match for your speakers.
All of this makes me think I should find a way to hear the Pass Os. Thanks much.
The Pass Aleph series amplifiers sound quite different from the current X series. I have owned both and can recommend both, though my preference is for the new stuff.

In the Aleph series, the 0s are from the original 3-gain stage design, whereas the Alephs 3, 4, 5 and I believe the 2 are from the later 2-gain stage design.