Belles makes a great class A amp
(SA30)
(SA30)
Pass Labs vs. Sugden
Has anyone had the chance to compare Pass Labs with Sugden? Any apples to apples comparisons -- amp to amp, integrated to integrated, etc.?
Been reading and seeing articles on Sugden, but in the States and on this forum, Pass Labs dominates. Is that because Sugden sells mainly overseas or is there a real basis in how they're made, sound, etc. Interested in sonic and bang-for-buck opinions if you have had experience.
Been reading and seeing articles on Sugden, but in the States and on this forum, Pass Labs dominates. Is that because Sugden sells mainly overseas or is there a real basis in how they're made, sound, etc. Interested in sonic and bang-for-buck opinions if you have had experience.
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- 31 posts total
This topic was discussed in another thread, albeit with a twist, but it is still the same question: https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/what-class-a-is-better-sugden-fpa-4-or-pass-labs-xa-25/post?p... |
A friend came over and brought his Pass Int-60 to try in my system, which was no easy task. I had been using tube integrateds from Cary, Rogue, BAT. And at the time I had a Primaluna. We had the Pass plugged in for about an hour before the units were switched . It was an OMG moment. The sound stage was wider, the music filled the room, bass was full and controlled. Unfortunately the amp is to large and did not fit my current layout. After that I started looking into Class A integrated amps and ended up with a new Sugden A21se Sig. Do not discount the Sugden. For me it is just a satisfying as the Pass. Its just that the English took a little different path to get there. |
@georgehifi I always enjoy and learn from your posts. Have you done any comparisons between Pass and the others (Sugden, Belles, Clayton) that puts it first and foremost for you?No A/B’s, but just looking at the internals, the Sugden looks to me like it could be a "anaemic" version of Pass amps, look at the transformer size, amount of output transistors and power supply capacitors. https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0212/2502/products/A21SE-INTERNAL-1-WS_large.jpeg?v=1496938402 lots of empty space. There’s also a reason they are saying the Pass get’s hotter, even though it’s bigger heavier and got more heatsinking, it’s most probably because it has more "music making" Class-A bias than the Sugden. Cheers George |
- 31 posts total