Pass Labs Preamps with tube amps?


I see plenty of search results for tube preamps with pass amps, but curious who’s experienced pass preamps (XP-10, 12, 20, 22) feeding low watt tube amps. Specifically SET amps, but any tube experiences would help.

I will be setting up two amps to swap between. a low watt SET amp and a solid state. My main amp listening being SET tube amp. 

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I have aa Pass XP10 and Pass 250.8- and Audio research REF150SE amp and the LS28SE pre amp; speakers are Wilson Sasha 2. I switch around combinations of the gear every few months to save hours on the tubes in the ARC and or heat generation - sound. The Pass XP10 is good- quiet, built well and neutral sounding. I can't say it's very exciting or musical. More like a functional unit that neither adds no detracts from the music. I wouldn't look to use it as a pre on a tube amp, I think it'd limit the purpose of using a tube amp by being to neutral, almost dry sounding. I do suggest the reverse though- running a good tube pre amp like the ARC LS28SE or REF 5 into a solid state amp like the Pass - this combo sounds great. 

Normally a SS amp then a good tube preamp 

check out Linear Tube Audio they make a excellent tube preamp 

with 6sn7 , plus additional tubes you can use , if xlr you can get too theLundahl C core transformer option  , exceptionally well made David Bearning helped design 

and today improved better still.

I had XP12 paired with Rogue ST100 and it was a good combo. The Rogue amp was a bottleneck but not because it’s tubes.
I run XP22 with X260.8 mono amps now and the synergy is great and I do not miss tubes.
As to the comments above claiming Pass preamps fail, I disagree. I had an Audio Research Ref 6 for over 3 weeks in my system and did plenty of A/B with the XP22 and ended up actually preferring the Pass preamp. I’m a fan of ARC and owned several of their preamps over time. But to my ears in my current system the XP22 is a better choice.

+1 @ghdprentice 

I have owned XP-30 and XP-32 preamps feeding into a very good set of SET hybrid monoblock, not quite satisfactory.  IMO Pass is an excellent amplifier company comparable in their price range, and make just alright preamplifiers.  Again YMMV.

Have an XP-32 and it is excellent.  My friend had an XP22 but I always felt, although a bit more dynamic, it was lacking in naturalness and palpability.  Thx XP32 is in a different category form everything under it.  He ended up selling his 22 for a Coda pre.  He seems happy with that for now.