Pass INT-25 better than Wilsenton R8?

I must have a special XA25, because it does not NEED 1hr startup to sound good. Sounds great right away...probably sounds a lil better after 30mins or so...but nothing crazy.

I originally had a LTA Zotl 40 El34 Tube Amp...great amp...but the Pass XA25 in my system was better to my ears. Smoother and more refined.

i documented my xa25 journey from new to burn in in another forum.  

it sounded very good out of the box but became velvety smooth after accumulating hours.  

in fact in the beginning i had to put the speaker grilles back on to help augment the brighter top end.  after a few weeks running 14 hrs a day working from home the grilles came back off.  

this is not unusual for amy of the amplifiers i have owned.  

@avanti1960 that's a great example story about the "grilles off / going back on later" to help share differences with others of how sound truly changes from a brand new amp vs. a well broken in amp with 200-300hrs on it. Same story for past 20yrs with many of the pass amps, settling in, transformer warmup before doing critical listening.

I use an original version Schiit Freya with a newly acquired Pass XA25...both of 'em are virtually noiseless and sound astonishingly good (best I've heard in a home audio rig, ever...), and this combo is maybe $1,600 less expensive than an INT25. You have relatively sensitive speakers? You're in.

well, the tubed r8 may be a great amp for the money... but within its (generous) power envelope, the xa25 is a great amp, period, with no qualifications...