Pass x250, Talon Khoruses , what now ?

You should have a look at the Bent Audio (www.bentaudio.com)102S transformer based preamps. I realize that this is DIY, but it isn't that difficult and will give you the unbalanced to balanced conversion which other passives won't.

I've been using a Marsh P2000b(solid state), which is balanced and at a little over $1000 new is definitely an overachiever performance-wise. For a few hundred dollars more they offer a tubed version that may also be worth checking out, but the solid state version sure is sweet. Very quiet, dynamic, surprising tonality, lots of natural detail and very transparent. It's a genuine steal in my book. Best of luck.

Tim

you people r just a great bunch !
thanks for the great advice.
i will go and do my homework now..=)
thanks again

I think you should really consider a Pass Aleph-P pre. This pre is completely balanced, without attenuators in the circuit path. I had a non-remote version, and I was astonished at the difference a pre-amp can make to the quality of sound. I sold it to get a Krell HTS processor/pre-amp. I love the processor for the home theater portion, but I feel as though I took a step backward on two channel. I am now looking for a CD player that connects directly to my amp.

I guess what I am saying is I MISS MY PASS PRE-AMP. I think you could probably find a non-remote Aleph used for around $1k, and a remote version for $1400. It would be an excellent combination with your X-250. Good Luck!

Hi David. Some good recommendations given above. You might also want to try an Aloia 11.01 inductive preamp. Although it's a SS design, it sounds a bit tube-like, particularly in the midrange (smooth, dynamic, and palpable). When I first got my Khorus a year and a half ago, I tried various amps & preamps, and the midrange sometimes sounded a little recessed. Then I got the Aloia and it seemed to make the midrange just right, particularly when used with the matching 13.01 amp. (Thanks to A-goner MikeG for recommending this set-up.) In any case, you can pick up a used 11.01 here at Audiogon for a little over $1000, which is an amazing buy for the level of performance you'd get. Whatever you end up getting, please let me know how it works out. Don