Pass Labs XA-25 vs XA-30.8 amplifier

Additional comments about my Pass XA-25:

The bass is not woolly or fuzzy. Across speakers from 87db to 97 db sensitivity.

The amp is not clinical.

The amp sounds different with a tube preamp vs. a solid state preamp in front of it, but it never lacks the musical warmth that @audphile mentions. With his 30.8.

The amp's name belies it's power. It has a lot of "grunt" / horsepower.

Hey all,

 I have a pair of Sonus Farber that are rated @91dbs.  SF say they need 50-450 watts.  How do you think the XA-25 would do with the Amati G5’s.

Oh and I normally don’t listen at loud levels, but want to have something in the tank for when the Tympani’s bang out their part.😁

Thanks again.

@curiousjim I bet they'd be fine for those speakers. A lot depends on the impedance curve but I used the Pass XA25 for speakers with very reasonable impedance curves at 87 and 91 db sensitivity and the amp never faltered. 

https://www.audioholics.com/loudspeaker-design/loudspeaker-sensitivity

Basically (in case you don't know): 

An audio speaker's impedance curve shows its electrical resistance across frequencies, indicating how easily an amplifier can drive it. Curve dips to low ohmic values (e.g., 2-4 ohms) demand more current from the amplifier, making it a harder load. A large phase angle (deviation from 0 degrees) at certain frequencies further stresses the amplifier by forcing it to deliver voltage and current out of sync. Speakers with significant dips and phase shifts are tougher loads, requiring more robust amplifiers.

The XA25 is designed to deliver significant current, with a peak current output of 10 amps, which translates to a 200-watt peak into a 2-ohm load. It also has, if I recall correctly, a damping factor of 500 and this gives it excellent control over the speaker's drivers, especially the bass passages.

You may want to add the coda no 8 amplifier to your list.

the coda no 8n is way more flexible the no8 can be ordered in three different variants

V3: 400 Watts x 2 into 8 Ohms

800 Watts x 2 into 4 Ohms

Class A ~8 Watts

V2: 250 Watts x 2 into 8 Ohms

500 Watts x 2 into 4 Ohms

Class A ~12 Watts

V1: 150 Watts x 2 into 8 Ohms

300 Watts x 2 into 4 Ohms

Class A ~18 Watts

"The $6,800 Coda No. 8 is very musical yet very detailed in ways that make me think that a fairer comparison would be my $13,5000 Pass Labs XA-60.8 monoblocks, which is a significant accolade for the Coda No. 8, as the Pass 60.8s are mean competitors costing far more money." - Terry London, Home Theater Review

At any time you can re-bias the amp at the factory so you can increase the amplifiers output 

Dave and Troy

audio intellect NJ

coda dealer