Pass Int-150 or Int-30A for PMC Speakers?

Thanks for the response..

I don't need HT by-pass and I had a Cary SLI-80 Tubed
Integrated that I liked but the Power Tubes are a pain and I
actually had one blow and it was not pretty. My wife and I
were standing right there, had we not it could have been
much worse; my wife was not happy.

Well I like to stay within the same Brand of amp and pre-amp
for system matching. I figure they design their equipment to
work together and be the best it can be.

I listen to primarily classical (Symphonic works and small
chamber stuff) and female jazz vocals (Jacintha, Krall and
Barber) along with some classic rock (Zeppelin, Floyd) at
what I would call moderate levels in a 14x24 ft room.

I have the opportunity to get a good price with a trade in
policy on an INT30A. Also has a 10 day return policy so I
may take a shot and see where it leads.

I like the Diablos but must confess I have never heard them.
The Focals are so transparent and throw a huge soundstage. I
really like them and they are much better than my previous
speakers and much more efficient.

Sorry to hear your tube blowing up incident. That doesn't sound pretty.

What you said is exactly the reason I went with XA30.5 and XP-10 combo. XA.5 amp input impedance isn't very high and I also felt XP-10 might just be the best matching ss pre.

I thinking you're talking about Mark. A good guy to do business with.

I just pulled the trigger on the INT-30A from Mark .... Great
person to deal with ......

Chuck

Congrats on the purchase Chuck. Let's us know how it is compared to your Cary. I know it's tube vs. ss, but I think it'd still be very interesting.

Hi Kz,

You are absolutely right. To my ears, the X.5 and the cooresponding XA.5 has the same power. After spending some time doing A/B comparison with XA60.5/X250.5 and XA100.5, XA really is the only way to go with Classical lovers. XA just has more appropriate soundstage, tone has more smoothness and texture, yet retains the speed and dynamic of X.5. I am officially jealous of Mark.

I heard the amps with XP20. It's very neutral. If your goal is neutral, then XP20 is what you want. To me, it sounds a little cold. But the instrument separation and details are amazing.

Hey Chuck,

Congrats! I was looking to buy that exact same unit from Mark. You beat me to it! That's makes my decision easier...

After listening to Pass again, X.5 is just too much for me. The details were too sharp with a flat soundstage. So XA it is! The shocker went to Electrocompaniet, the ECI5 MK II. Electrocompaniet's soundstage was even more vivid and 3D than Pass, but the depth of the soundstage isn't as deep as Pass. It was very interesting.. The detail was much less sharp than Pass but the tonal texture was completely smooth and round. It was a complete concert hall experience. Many people talk about neutrality and what a recording should sound like. I just want to turn my living room into a 24/7 concert hall. Some reviews also said Electrocompaniet is the closest solid states to tube. Detail vs. real lifenss... I still have more listening to do. Anyone who has listened to both, please share...