HELP ADVICE FEEDBACK PS Audio BHK 300 - Hegel H30 - Pass Labs X250.8 or Pass X350.5 amp


HELP ADVICE - FEEDBACK - PS Audio BHK 300's or Hegel H30 or Pass Labs X250.8 or keep my current Pass Labs X350.5 - Considering amp options

There is a strong PS Audio sale going on right now and a dealer just reached out to me from a conversation we were  having a couple weeks ago when I was looking to change my preamp.

I ended up trading my BAT VK-32SE preamp for Mark Levinson No.326s preamp.

All that said it has me considering doing an amp change also but I must admit I really like my currant amp the Pass Labs X350.5 amp but you know how it is. If I can upgrade then I would like to do just that. 

ANY FEEDBACK - THOUGHTS - IDEAS would be so appreciated.

I am in the middle of total system re-fit and have made many changes - I am sure too many but I am quite happy now but this PS Audio sale has peaked my interest. It has lead me to really considering the Hegel to be honest. That is the direction I am thinking and would love some feedback.  

Can you guys provide any feedback about any of these. I like to hear from you guys. I read all the reviews on all of these are all well and good but I always get the real ho-down low-down from you guys - good or bad.

                                                ** Back Ground info**

** Room is
14 x 24 w/Cathedral Ceilings - 16 Foot a peak

** Music likes:
Assorted Music no metal or loud hard rock anymore really - not much Large Scale classical either but everything else.

** Likes / Priority:
Transparency - Delicate - Linear - High resolution - microscope but not sterile not etched or lifeless - I know there is a fine Line here but I'm looking to walk the line as close as I can - real see through into the music - transparent to the source because I love my DAC - extended and to remove as many layers without being clinical - image and sound stage lover - tight bass - hate flab - like speed and transparency but needs to be musical.

** Perspective
Just traded my BAT VK-32SE brand new tubes / certified pre-owned, mint same as new preamp. Wrong match. Just looking to go total other way. Not what I was looking for. The Mark Levinson No.326s preamp is the newest addition to land on next Wednesday.

** More Perspective - I have been running my Bricasti Direct M1SE to my Pass Labs X350.5 amps and really starting to love it. I want to expand on this sound a bit. Little more depth, width of stage, bass, dynamics but don't want to add veils or give up a lot in transparency - I know I will give up some vs direct in doing so. That was why I was looking for the very best SS preamp I could get in my price range via trade and cash.That was why I landed on the Levinson but we shall see how all the pares out. 

I wanted some feedback on these amps.

I have heard the Hegel and with Magico speakers and loved it. Not in my system but it was the H30 and Magico S5 Speakers and the same Kubula-Sosna Emotion speaker cables and I loved it. Obviously tons of other variables, room, source, IC's PC's but I did get to hear it and absolutely loved it.

Wasn't really even looking at changing my amp and not sure i will but that PS Audo BHK offer peaked my interest so these are the amp options I am considering and would love any and all feedback. 

I get there are a lot of changes and probably too many but it is what it is so please I understand that. 


System:
https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/5160

Magico S5 Loud Speakers

Bricasti M1 Special Edition DSD DAC

Pass Labs X350.5 Balanced Stereo Amplifier

Mark Levinson No.326s Preamp

PS Audio P10 Power Plant Regenerator

Kubala-Sosna Emotion 2.5M Speaker Cables

Nordost Heimdall 2 Balanced XLR Interconnects 

Assorted premium PC's for clean power

Digital PC based front end that I have been tweaking and evolving:

Transport: microRendu 1.4 and Full Suite of UpTone Audio Premium Power Supplies (2)x LPS-1 and (1) JS2 LPS - (2) Regens - the new ISO and an Amber and all powered with premium/custom Canare / Oyide DC cables for all power supplies plus the great Tellurium Q Black Diamond Reference USB cable and a Curious Regen Link USB Cable.  

Really appreciate any help you can provide on these amps. If you would like more info please let me know - all comments and feedback are most welcome and deeply appreciated :)


Thanks guys/gals

Fsmithjack
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I think like most things the actual truth is probably somewhere in the middle give or take a bit each way. We staunch break-in believers more than likely attach more to break-in when many other factors im sure are contributing overall. Like our brains acclimating to the new and different sound im sure plays are larger roll than we can understand or appreciate I'm sure.

I'm excited to try this new Hegel H30 amp. 

I have made plenty of mistakes and part of the fun for me is my not worrying about making the mistakes. Well as long as the new buys are grounded in relative, data driven, intelligent purchase decisions. Obviously buying used allows this bring em in and if not what I was hoping move them out approach possible.

I know today it is not nearly as easy to do as it was a decade ago but still if one is patient it can work. Moreover, the opposite it true also (me doing an amp deal before even getting to hear my pre with old amp) as I must be willing to jump early. I think both patience and the willingness to jump when not ready is what can allow the coming and goings possible with regards to making audio mistakes and keeping them form becoming monetary mistakes. 

The goal is getting closer to the music but also making what I think is informed decisions without fear of being wrong. 

My thinking was this at this point. I am looking to push and get a bit closer to the music while not getting to close so to say. We are always looking for the equilibrium. Some warmth but not too warm as we don't want to loose that detail. Immediate but not in your face. We want that depth but not too far back. We want to lighten up with entire stage without being too bright. Liquid but not too smooth. A dap of coolness for the detail but not being clinical. We all know there is no free lunch and synergy is key to oh so many moving parts before we even consider break-in and the like.

I've been looking for a pre but in a certain price range. If money was no object things would be much easier but still not easy.

So the Pass X350.5 is known as a warm, powerful and beautiful sounding amp. An excellent amp in any event. 

The Levinson No.326s is a very good solid state preamp but the knock on it seems to be its known to be a little laid back and not the most vivid or exciting but it excels at most everything else.

It seems if your system is already a bit warm and could use a little infusion of vividness or immediacy then thing pre will not push it forward but it is otherwise thought of very fondly. Much of it is like the great No.32 preamp which most everyone loves.

My thought with the Hegel H30 is to get an amp that is a bit more immediate, dynamic, transparent and a bit more more resolving and this may match the Levinson No.326s a bit better and I maybe able to get a bit closer to that elusive equilibrium we all are looking for.

Sure it is tough to part with the outstanding and beautiful sounding Pass X350.5 but you know the saying - no pain no gain so I'm taking a shot. The safe would be to keep the gorgeous sounding X350.5. 

Trust me I don't claim to be some expert that has all the answers. I am the exact opposite. Not on purpose but I understand but I'm really just sort of just throwing darts but honestly unless you hear in your own system with your own gear that's really all any if us are really doing. I'm trying to do in a way that if it doesn't work well then bring on the next one but I hope it does as I keep learning and hope I score on a much higher percentage of these shots!  Thats may take anyways...

    
Got the Mark Levinson No.326s preamp today. Wow what an upgrade. It’s really my first reall good solid state Preamp. I’ve had tons tube preamps and loved most of them in my other systems but what a nice add this Preamp was.

What I like the most is that it took what I liked most about running my Bricasti direct and really improved upon that. Very nice. I had a quite a few people say this or that about this Preamp but it’s quite vivid and impressive. People stated it’s sort of laid back but not in my system. Hope it matches his well with the Hegel H30. If not serves me right for pulling trigger on an amp deal before hearing this match because it’s an excellent match! Made the Pass X350.5 less warm and more linear - go figure! 
You would get a ton of bang-for-the-buck improvement if you upgraded your microRendu to a SOtM SMS-200 Ultra with tX-USB Ultra and master reference clock like the Mutec Ref10.
Really ??? I thought with LPS-1 x 2 and JS2 and ISO Regen I was in good shape? Been considering a Sonic Transporter I7 because I’m fixing to add the Bricasti M1SE Ethernet player upgrade media player they just released. He’s still working out the Roon bugs and it’s mainly just a JRiver unit now but Brian is close - just finishing up firmware - I use JRiver now which is fine - I have both - think JRiver sounds better. Is that an upgrade you made? Thanks