You've tried other amps and ended with Pass, please discuss


So I'm genuinely curious about this, and I'd like your thoughts.

You: Are a current pass owner who has tried a number of other amps and stuck with Pass.

Please discuss your speakers, your pass and what other amps you feel your current set up bested.

I won't opine, but may ask questions to those who are not specific enough.
One thing I've heard a lot is the terms "refined." I don't know what this means, so if you can compare to other amps with more detail, would appreciate that.
Thanks!

Erik
erik_squires
david_ten3,196 posts
With George on this one. He did not say / post that. Too bad the post was deleted since it can’t be copied.

Looks like admin found nothing wrong with the post also, and they have restored the post.
https://forum.audiogon.com/posts/1813040

Cheers George
Eric is asking someone, why they do not like the sound of Pass amps, but, refuses to answer my same question to him, as I was the 1st poster to his thread. George, I am with you !
I’ve only owned three different sets of amps: McIntosh MC452, PS Audio BHK300 mono’s and a set of PL 60.5’s.  I’ve ran a McIntosh C2500, C50, PS Audio BHK Pre and a PL XP-22.  Every time I swapped something out, it was in the pursuit of something “more.”  The MC452, I sold because though it sounded fine at moderate volumes, if I got on it, you could hear it break up/taper off at the higher volumes.  I moved to the BHK mono’s which I felt sounded damn fine and had power for hours.  We recently moved and I was no longer going to have a nice big dedicated space, so I downsized to a set of PL 60.5’s and Harbeth Super HL5+’s.  I’m sure there are other systems out there that sound better, but to me, it sounds very relaxed and organic.  A guitar sounds like a guitar, I’m able to hear the decay on some recordings last a bit longer, drum tom’s have a little more ring to them...overall, it just sounds right to my ears.  

@richdirector Nelson pass uses tannoys. You'll find various discussions of them if you search...

And you can probably get some good discussion of pass amp recommendations by posting over at the pass labs forum on diyaudio and asking what might be the best fit for your speakers... https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/pass-labs/
I am being completely consistent.

Eric is asking someone, why they do not like the sound of Pass amps, but, refuses to answer my same question to him, as I was the 1st poster to his thread. George, I am with you

I have said in this thread I wanted to listen. A poster made some wildly generic, negative statements, so I asked him to avoid, and if he could not avoid, to at least be specific.

I am very grateful to all the pro Pass posts here which get specific to model of amp and speaker and discuss relative merits.

I am more grateful and lucky when the poster mentions brands  of amps I have heard and the relative differences.

Very happy to read of people enjoying Pass when they give me a reference point.


Best,

Erik