Since there is some discussion here regarding the Pass XA25 vs the Coda amps, I’ll throw my $.02 in the mix. I owned two examples of the XA25 and now have the No.8 V1. The XA25 is a nice amp, but when it comes to speakers of <90dB sensitivity, it just doesn’t have the requisite juice.
For $1K more, the Coda No.8 is like an XA25 on steroids. In all aspects the No.8 is at least a little better to my ears, and a lot better in the bass and mid-bass. When it comes to driving speakers like Magnepans, the two are a world apart. Speakers like Maggies need current to come alive and the XA25 (at 10A peak), simply doesn’t produce nearly enough.
Overall, I find the no.8 produces superior decay, is smoother/better refined, and larger sounding.
Regarding Hegel, the only one I’ve owned is the H190, so obviously not apples-to-apples, though the 190 has a similar power rating to my No.8. There is really no comparison. For less than $5K all in (≈$750 more than H190’s original retail) one can pair a No.8 with a Topping Pre90 or A90D and get far superior performance. And believe it or not, the No.8 in V1 guise actually runs cooler than the H190.