In my primary system, I am driving a pair of WATT/Puppy 6.0s with a pair of Pass X600 monoblocks. The sound is smooth and seamless.
All frequency ranges are well presented, with extended highs, even midrange, and OK bass. The best is the midrange. The Pass' liquid control of the midrange plus my particular room acoustics work to tame the slightly hot upper midrange character of the WATT/Puppy 6.0s. The bass is fine, in good proportion if not really socko. The speakers tend to roll off in the bottom octave, so I have two Sunfire True Sub Signatures filling out the foundation. (Reputedly, the WATT/Puppy 7s go the distance in the bass.) With the right subwoofer blending, I feel no lack in the low bass.
The relative efficiency of the speakers combined with the high power of the amps provides for plenty of headroom and a very dynamic sound, which is an aspect I personally find especially appealing. I don't sense anything is lost in terms of detail and delicacy at low and mid volumes either. Soundstaging and imaging are solid and stable, leaving me nothing to be desired.
A Pass Aleph P preamp has been a good fit with the X600s. Notably, this one has left gain, right gain, as well as an overall volume control. The sound is noticeably more dynamic with the gain controls set past 11 o'clock, independent of the volume control setting. To improve the dynamics, I have set some of my source components to lower output levels in order to turn up the gain controls to 12 o'clock or higher without losing my control range with the volume control. I don't understand why -- theoretically, there shouldn't be any difference between high gain control settings with a low volume control setting versus low gain controls with a high volume control, should there? Is this what they're saying about loss of dynamics with passive preamps? Does the patented volume control that is used on newer Pass preamps address this? Dunno.
The Pass X600s replaced a pair of Bryston 7B ST monoblocks, which in comparison sounded punchier in the bass, a little warmer/brassier in the midrange, and very slightly harsh in the treble (through the same speakers). Perhaps my Audioquest Dragon silver conductor speaker cable exacerbated this last. (Also using Audioquest Amazon silver interconnects.) Best Regards.
All frequency ranges are well presented, with extended highs, even midrange, and OK bass. The best is the midrange. The Pass' liquid control of the midrange plus my particular room acoustics work to tame the slightly hot upper midrange character of the WATT/Puppy 6.0s. The bass is fine, in good proportion if not really socko. The speakers tend to roll off in the bottom octave, so I have two Sunfire True Sub Signatures filling out the foundation. (Reputedly, the WATT/Puppy 7s go the distance in the bass.) With the right subwoofer blending, I feel no lack in the low bass.
The relative efficiency of the speakers combined with the high power of the amps provides for plenty of headroom and a very dynamic sound, which is an aspect I personally find especially appealing. I don't sense anything is lost in terms of detail and delicacy at low and mid volumes either. Soundstaging and imaging are solid and stable, leaving me nothing to be desired.
A Pass Aleph P preamp has been a good fit with the X600s. Notably, this one has left gain, right gain, as well as an overall volume control. The sound is noticeably more dynamic with the gain controls set past 11 o'clock, independent of the volume control setting. To improve the dynamics, I have set some of my source components to lower output levels in order to turn up the gain controls to 12 o'clock or higher without losing my control range with the volume control. I don't understand why -- theoretically, there shouldn't be any difference between high gain control settings with a low volume control setting versus low gain controls with a high volume control, should there? Is this what they're saying about loss of dynamics with passive preamps? Does the patented volume control that is used on newer Pass preamps address this? Dunno.
The Pass X600s replaced a pair of Bryston 7B ST monoblocks, which in comparison sounded punchier in the bass, a little warmer/brassier in the midrange, and very slightly harsh in the treble (through the same speakers). Perhaps my Audioquest Dragon silver conductor speaker cable exacerbated this last. (Also using Audioquest Amazon silver interconnects.) Best Regards.
