Mcintosh 452 vs Pass Labs XA 30.5

The 60.5 and 60.8 are not the best Pass products. A XA30.5 cannot be used for all loudspeakers. And cannot be compared by a X series amp or a Class a/b amp of Mcintosh.

You always need to compare similar products in the same price range. I owned the XP-20 as well. It is a good pre amp, but it is not a stunning one. This is what you need for each Pass power amps and monos.

When you judge audio at the highest level regarding an extreme 3D holographic stage and the best layering in sound. Pass is the only way to go. In my world Mcintish is not acceptable. Due to the fact that I have listened to so many products and I did compare many. A born perfectionist is only interested in the best result possible. 2nd best and less is in my world for all those born losers.

The Mcintosh owns what we call a pleasant sound. But I have done so much research in sound and the emotion of us humans. That I now know and understand that you need diversity in sound instead of a pleasant sound.

When you listen to your beloved music between an amp with a pleasant sound vs an amp which can reveal all the layers in the whole frequency range. You will choose for the last one. Based on the fact that this one will give you a more emotional experience.

This is how we do audio. We let people hear to what we call a Tru-Fi system. It reveals all the details and layers of a recording. When they bring their own music with them we can let them experience their own music in a Tru-Fi system.

The outcome is the same over and over again. They all experience their music at a superior level in emotion they ever auditioned. Music is emotion.

I have done so much research in almost 20 years of time and still spend a lot of time on research. I am addicted to music since I was a child. I did learn to be able to extract of each single part on of an audio system all the properties it can reveal. I can label each part with the DNA it owns.

This is why I understand why each system sounds and build the stage what I hear.

On these fairly easy to drive speakers, both will work fine, but my money’s on the Pass for a better sound at "normal. And on harder to drive speakers the Pass all the way every day.
But if you really want to get loud with these speakers they are are only 80db efficiency which means you want watts and that’s where the 450w Mac will beat out the 60w @ 4ohm Pass, in being able to go louder, but not necessarily better sounding. 
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Cheers George