Pass Labs “House Sound” vs. McIntosh “House Sound”

I don’t always agree with Erik’s posts, but his last post above is great advice.

Buying audio gear requires two main things: time and money. If you really want audio quality you have to spend both. Sure, you can quickly spend $10,000 on a component with little personal audition and just rely on a few comments on an anonymous Internet forum, but you might risk wasting real money while enduring poorly matched sound quality. 
Doing a lot of reading on several forums and doing as much actual listening as possible can get you across the finish line but it takes effort. I think the worst word in audio is “always”. System matching is real. Room differences are real. And individual sound preferences (which can be very difficult to put into words) are real.

Buying some kit used is helpful as you can almost sell pieces for what you paid if you want to try something else. Auditioning one component in a professional dealership sound room with matching components that are way above your budget might not match your system in your room at home. It just takes time and effort. That is why treating this a long term hobby helps: the hunt becomes part of the fun...

I've personally never heard a benefit of fully balanced designs, I'm sorry.

Maybe there are some, but the technology has never attracted me to gear specifically because of it.

there are more Pass Labs sold than Ayre and Luxman combined so lots of people got bad ears.

I've never said people who buy Pass have bad ears, but I am not obligated to agree with their tastes, any more than anyone else should buy something because I happen to like it. 

The buyer's hearing, speakers and room should trump everything.  If you can't shrug off all the PR and punditry, your wallet and hobby will be a slave to popular opinion.

Best,
E