Stereophile, Pass Integrated and personal taste


Stereophile has reviewed another Pass product, the Int-25, and again I found the distortion signatures super interesting:

https://www.stereophile.com/content/pass-labs-int-25-integrated-amplifier-measurements

I wonder if it is possible that such a signature could be something some fall in love with and some are pushed away from?


Best,

E
erik_squires
My criticism of Pass stuff is that NP is quite open to the idea of designing complete series of amps to have a certain "flavor" and then offering a range of flavors to the consumer. 
I don't recall if it was in that review or somewhere else but I recently read that NP now says that his .8 series of amps have a significant deficit in their circuit design resulting in inferior sound that he has now corrected with a new circuit design. How does that make the .8 owners out there feel?
mtdining, you are so far off the mark it’s not funny. :(

I am reviewing a Pass amp currently, and I was in conversation with Nelson a couple days ago about OB speakers. He is part of the industry that concern themselves with more esoteric sound in terms of speakers, not just what's popular. 

I am only going to say this at the moment; Imo Pass Labs is putting out a far superior sound now than in the recent past. Want to know more, wait for the review.  

BTW, you want to single out Pass for what kind of system is used? You would be shocked at the rigs used in the industry by many very well known companies. I have knowledge of companies that use what wouldn't even be considered high end audiophile gear in their design process. It's possible products you own have an insipid testing and development audio system.  So, I wouldn't get too fired up as though you know something important about Pass Labs. 


So I am curious if anyone has actually heard the Int 25, and how they felt it compared to other Pass amps, and other amps in general.

Is there something to match up between the distortion profile and listener impressions??
Best,
Erik
Last year I went on a turbo mission to find the best amplification that makes the most music to my ears; I purchased and lived with top Luxman solid state: 509x, m900/c900 combo; numerous ancillary equipment swaps in the process so I could best discern the signatures of the amplification;

I also purchased and lived with Pass Labs x150.8, x250.8, xp12, xp20;

I have settled with a Pass Int 250;
In my book, Nelson Pass is, was, and will be an analog designer of epic stature; Pass Labs is a super company that defines customer service.
I will never understand members that bash gear, either passive aggressively, or full flame, on a public forum. It’s just kind of pitiful in a way;  

It’s my understanding that jealousy is something like: ’I want what you have’, but envy is something worse and different: ’I don’t want you to have what you have’; It’s really sad to see adults that carry on in this manner.

Anyway psychology 101 off, and back to audio: To thine own ears be true!

Erik interesting observation.  I remember reading a recent article / interview with Nelson Pass.  He stated that he was trying to create a type of distortion and use it to positive effect in the sound. 
These measurements might show the results of that effort.