I like my Peachtree Nova300 more than my new (to me) Pass XA30.5 HELP!

Hmm. In the measurements section of Stereophile’s review of the Nova300 John Atkinson states as follows:

... all measurements of the nova300 were taken using Audio Precision’s auxiliary AUX-0025 passive low-pass filter, which eliminates noise above 200kHz that might otherwise overload the SYS2722’s input circuitry. Without the filter, there was almost 1V of ultrasonic noise present at the Peachtree’s output, with a center frequency of 472kHz.

And I would expect that 1 volt of ultrasonic noise to be considerably greater when the Nova300’s preamp section is being used in conjunction with the Pass amp, since a speaker load is not connected to the Nova in that situation.

In other words what you’ve got in that setup is a **very** powerful RFI generator located somewhere in the vicinity of the Pass amp. I’m thinking that a significant contributor to the problem may be the result of that RFI finding its way into the Pass amp, either by coupling into the power wiring or the interconnect cables or the speaker cables, or perhaps directly through the air.

Good luck. Regards,
-- Al

@tvad
Note the OP is using Tektron Electron SE loudspeakers, which are rated at 98.82dB/4ohms, so they seem to be in line with the high efficiency Tannoy and Klipsch loudspeakers on which you believe Pass Labs sound best.

I like PASS a lot, only with certain speakers and preamps.

Some of the better sounding setups I’ve heard with various Pass amps and Pass preamps was with lower 87-93db sensitivity, 6-8ohm speaker’s. A little more laid back, more musical - a much better match having sensitive hearing coming from SS to all tube now.

A few years ago spent a few hours on/off listening to some of the new Pass (.8) series amps during an audio show, paired up with very-well-known highly efficient 98db speakers. Being blunt, that room was by far one of the worst and least musical sounding systems in the entire show, IMO. Super fatiguing. Felt bad for the Nelson Pass’ life-size cardboard cutouts on display. No, it was not Nelson’s room. Someone else’s.

Recently sold two pairs of Cardas Gold Cross interconnects (extremely veiled over, rich) from my own solid state amps. Great match for some SS amps. Some PASS owners love them. Sold! The buyer needed them to take " a lot of the edge off " his new Pass amps with HIS particular speakers. Read up on Pass XP-10 vs. XP-20 preamps, and those commonly using really good TUBE preamps, combined with older Cardas - "Golden", "Cross" series IC cables to help SMOOTH things out, take the edge off in these same type of situations.

Speaker matching with Pass amps is key. Preamps matter too!

I love how people assume something is wrong if a good Class D amp beats another good amp.

They are both good amps so any thing is possible regarding preference and there is no mismatch with the pre-amp unless something is not set up right as Almarg alluded to might be the case.

I would use the integrated as an integrated only. 

adam8179 OP

Read very careful what almarg has said above 4 posts back, as I said in my post
"Your right to ask for help, there must be something either wrong with the Pass labs XA30.5 or as Almarg said the set-up you had it in."

Cheers George