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...
