Pass INT-25 better than Wilsenton R8?

@travisg

i’ll be happy to buy that pass labs p-o-s from you at half price, any time you want to part with it, so long as it is in as new condition 😁

just ping me

The R8 is a fantastic amp for the money.  If you haven't tried different 6SL7 and 6SN7 tubes you might find those improve the sound even more.  NOS Sylvania tubes are a good place to start.  Personally, I was fond of the Gold Lion KT77's but after the sanctions on Russia their price has become absurd.  Also, if you are handy and decide to keep the R8 then upgrading the 0.22uF and 0.33uF capacitors will yield even further improvements.

I haven't owned any Pass Labs but I have built 5 FirstWatt amps which are Nelson Pass designs and kind of a side project of his.  One of the things I have discovered listening to those as well as 7 other amps in the past 2 years is that different amps sound different and personal preference is a significant factor in determining what sounds better.  It is easy to imagine you just prefer the sound of the R8 over the sound of the INT-25

I have a FirstWatt F8 amplifier, which has a similar power output rating. I tried an Emotiva PT-1 preamp. Not really bad, but too bright. I swapped in a Van Alstine Transcendence RB 10 tube preamp. Now the sound is excellent.

If you give the INT-25 time to settle in and like the result, you are done. If not, you could even try feeding the output of a tube preamp into an INT-25 line input.

Comparing the prices on both won't be a fair comparison. The R8 is being sold direct from China, while Pass Labs has a dealer network. 

Secondly, break-in with Pass Labs is true. My F8 took 3 months to burn-in. After which, it's one of my favorite amps. My X150.8, about 1 month. 

I'm currently evaluating a Kinki EX-M7, its an amazing amp. I recommend auditioning one. 

@travisg Why did you go from tube to SS ? btw this is coming from a pass fan.

What I would have done from r8 is go to a used Jadis or VAC that is around $5-6k. Guessing that would be a big upgrade.