Pass Labs xa - .5 amps

Various speakers, Tvad, with all pass gear. and it was their wiring.
as i said, beautiful voices, especially say like a frank sintra record, then, you play something that needs to boogie, and it couldn't do it. You nailed it when you said no glare, smooth as anything, yet that's all it could do. I've heard the phono stage in other systems, wonderful. I'd buy it. the other stuff, no way. A real eye-opener, to be sure.

Soren, I agree it was not a fair comparison due to power issues. Try an x350.5 or x600.5, maybe with a little toe-in on your speaker.

nothing fancy, some regas, some others, all can time normally in the same room, with various other gear.
I kept thinking the gear wasn't getting it's due, yet everytime something else replaced it the system boogied again. I could see where the amps would be a great mate with ultra revealing speakers, at least for the mid/uppers. The low end I couldn't understand at all. It was big, to be sure, but sluggish.

Was it the newest phono stage you've heard? I can't remember the model, I think retail is $3800-4k?

Anyway, not to slag the gear at all, for certain ears or certain gear it might be just the thing. But I've got my suspicions.

You read the articles, the reviews, you know the company history, without hearing it you love everything about it, and then you hear it. I'm finding this to be true about a lot of gear lately. Too bad.