Pass Labs x250.8 vs tube amps


I have a beautiful system. Lumin X1 > BAT Rex 2 pre > Pass Labs x250.8> Sound Labs M545 (ESL) in a tiny room (9x 11 ft).  This system has the most glorious SQ: smooth, detailed and powerful , along with great bass. I would say this sound equals or betters any ultra high end system. HOWEVER, I have a problem. My system takes 6 hours of music playing to sound this good. I had X250.5 and I had the same issue. Leaving it on idle overnight doesn’t solve the problem. It is 15 W class A, so it generates quite a bit of heat, and yet I have to still play music. Because my room is small, I don’t crank up too much- maybe this is the problem, but the temperature doesn’t complete stabilize for 5-6 hours. The top reaches 107 deg in 2 hours, but the front plate doesn’t reach 107 until the 6 th hr when it starts to sound glorious. I have never had a tube amp and I am wondering if I can reach that thermal equilibrium and the glorious SQ faster with a tube amp? I worried about the heat generation with a tube amp in this small room, but X250.8 generates 450 W just idling. This is no worse than tube amps like Audio Research 150 Se, which I demo’d and was impressed by. BTW, I need power in the amp because of the esl speakers.
What do you all think?

128x128chungjh
@chungjh, 
Thinking about your 260.8 amp.  55 degrees celsius measured at the heat sink is often referred to as optimum operating temp for many Pass amps.  Reportedly,  55c is also a setup tuning point where Pass Labs sets the bias on many of their X/XA amps. It's re-checked many times during the first week of build validation testing.  Bias is not set or checked until hot right at 55c. Some manuals note 55c as the sweet spot for warmup and listening time.  

Last year I recall someone who finally sent their amp back in, found out it was not reaching optimum bias and temp. Simple adjustment fixed it.   

Gotta infrared thermometer (heat gun) to check how fast it gets to 55c? 


Oh, I haven't checked the heat sink. Last time I got inconsistent results. But, after constant idle and then playing for 3 hours, the top and front plate reach around 110-115 F and stays there.
All,

Great informative reading. I learn a lot about matching and challenges one doesn’t always think of when getting new equipment. 
I am currently running Magnipan 3.7 and Thiel CS2 (depending on m6 mood) from ole school Classe DR-15 amp/DR4 pre. Very happy overall with the  sound on both but considering what going to the 250.8 might bring. Or maybe an upgrade to preamp?
(Also have Rega P8/Alpheta3/Rega Aria mk3/California Audio Labs CD).
 I know the Classe stuff is dinosaur so maybe not much experience here with that but it has served me remarkably well. 
any thoughts would be appreciated....also don’t want 6 hours of warm up time....ha...thanks.
I have Maggie 3.7i paired with a Pass 250.8 and it sounds terrific. When I can I'll turn it on from standby about one hour before listening. On occasion I've listened from startup and the sound is still very listenable.
**** all solid state amps struggle to make power in the bass region. ****
This runs counter to everything I've learned over the past 50 years.