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Disappointment with Pass Labs - I'm looking for something else

Hello, I am new to this forum and my mother tongue is not English, so please forgive me if I make mistakes as I use a translator.

I recently bought an XA30.8 and an XP12. I was very happy but as time went by I began to not feel comfortable with the sound.
After doing many tests, I find that the XA30.8 sounds very very sweet but actually too much. I find it to be a loosely defined amp, somewhat muddy and lacks a lot of air and grip. The soundstage is very closed.

The XP-12 is the worst of the two. It is a previous that removes a lot of resolution and information, without transient attacks and sunken mid frequencies. Instead it brings warmth.

Has anyone of you found the same?

If you ask me, I have a Klipsch Cornwall and a dCS BArtok.

Now I want a capable amp, forceful, something warm, decisive, airy and with a great soundstage.

At first I thought of changing my XA30.8 for X250.8, and changing the XP-12 for a second-hand Audio Research Ref5. I am afraid of this change and continue with Pass, since I can go back to the same thing a bit.

On the other hand I have thought of going for a Luxman 900 combo, since it has very good reviews and from what I have read it could be the winning ticket.
opm
inna
7,296 posts
 
Gryphon Diablo 300 integrated unless you want to go with tubes. Question is can your Klipsch handle that much power? If they can, this combination can be unbeatable within this price range.
By the way, my choice of speakers is different, so it has nothing to do with my set up. I would probably choose Soulution or D'Agostino for myself.
Well, you could consider D'Agostino too, I suppose.
Japanese transistors make no sense to me at this level. They are nice and all but they got no real dynamics and bite.
Try Gryphon and D'Agostino.
ebm
9,311 posts
 
Jump on d'Agostiono  mono blocks ASAP!!!!!
opm OP
40 posts
 
Thank you for your advices. D'agostino is a lot of money for me, I can't reach them. Outside the USA it is very very expensive.

Gryphon Diablo is much more accessible, especially in Europe and Soulution has a distributor nearby.

Can you elaborate on Gryphon or Soulution?
helomech
1,680 posts
 
Get a KT88-powered tube amp.
opm OP
40 posts
 
The only tube amplification that I have liked is the Jadis 120 monophonic blocks. Really brutal, an incredible push, an incredible detail recovery. But they have a problem, that they make a lot of noise while they are silent. Changing all the tubes is a lot of money.
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