As this thread shows. I have had the new Pass Labs X350.8 for comparison purposes to my X350.5 amp. At first I wasnÂt sure if the new .8 was an upgrade over my X350.5. Then I thought I was sure it was, but once again I have changed my mind.
I have been tweaking things to get the best sound out of the X350.8. But, I always thought that there was something wrong with the Âpresence range. You know that area that defines voices and the general soundstage. The .8 always sounded darker than the X350.5. And the treble sounded distant.
After many hours of playing the new X350.8, I reinstalled the X350.5 into the system a few weeks back. And you know what? I like that sound better. I knew it as soon as I turned on the power button that was the sound I was so familiar with and preferred.
Now, I canÂt imagine that Pass Labs produced a new amp that is inferior to the previous model. No, I guess I would have to conclude that my preference to the .5 is that my whole system (including cables) were voiced with the X350.5 amp.
Changing to the .8 version was just not right with my present equipment and perhaps with my old man hearing.
So, I boxed up the X350.8 and sent it back to Reno HiFi. What a great guy Mark is and how lucky I am that he allowed me to really put the X350.8 through its paces for comparison purposes.