Which of these amps would work best with original Quad 57s? I'm presently using a Dennis Had Inspire amp which puts out 8-10 watts....small room, listening at low levels, so power isn't an issue. Looking for a potential SS alternative.
I read recently that Nelson Pass is going to have Pass Labs make his First Watt stuff now…a good idea as I don't see any advantage to him building these things in his kitchen (metaphorically of course).
I had a conversation with Mark at Reno Hifi regarding the F6 vs. the Pass, (I was interested in the F6). Basically, they both sound lovely, but the F6 would not have much reserve power when faced with a demanding speaker impedance at low frequencies. Whereas, the XA30.5 has power to spare and performs well past it's rated wattage.
He said speaker specs and sensitivity become more important when considering the F6.
My good friend runs his Quad 57's (three stack 6 panels total) with the Quad tube amps (yeah 6 of them) designed for these speakers he had them recapped etc and they sound wonderful. Defiantly something to look at if you would consider tubes instead of the SS amp. I'm actually surprised at the bass he get along with the liquid mids and highs very detailed and of course that Quad sound.
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