Quandary

It cost me 300 bucks the last time i wanted to upgrade ( i am a bit foolish) from my vintage sansui alpha to one of  the best pre-amplifier  or tube  headphone amplifier possible...

Alas! i decided to return it after 15 minutes...😊

If you own something good pass the Pass especially if you could loose money ...

Now that I’m listening to more recordings objectively I’m hearing the brightness of the Benchmark sound which could be tamed by Pass.

I have always found the Benchmark amps to be quite analytical. When I had my Triton Ones, I used an Odyssey Stratos amp which at 150wpc and 60 amps of current was a perfect match to the Triton Ones.  I moved on to the Triton Refs and now use a 300wpc McIntosh amp which puts me over the moon.  Not sure you will like having only 30wpc but it will be a better sound than the Benchmark. 

If you're happy with your system now, I'd leave well enough alone.  

As far as paying for the audition, I think everything is negotiable. And I'd rather audition the actual amp rather than it's big brother.

Interesting sales tactic though. What if you really like the 60w monoblocks, would you then buy the 30w amp without hearing it? 

As to the cost of the audition, if $300 is that outrageous in today's market then you should have no trouble finding a Pass dealer to allow you to audition for a lot less. Just remember to factor in delivery, setup, take down and return back to the dealership. 

I would want to audition exactly the amp I was considering buying. No exceptions. And 30 watts and 60 watts might sound very different, that's double the power.

As for paying $300, it might be worth it, this would not be an issue for me.