Pass Labs XP-20 or Audio Research Ref 3?

Do you use room correction to get a 3D soundstage and imaging or do you use it to address frequency issues in poorly designed rooms? Or is it for something else?

And why do you think you are the only person who understands this and can use that Audyssay Pro room correction device correctly?

The precision is a lot better than with a normal pre amp. Voices and instruments are a lot more touchable. You can hear also 2nd and 3th voices on a recording so much easier.

There is more information also in a voice. You hear things which are not there without. Even the best highend pre amps it was only a little noticeable. Even the best cables in the world will not add this information.

Last year there was a demo with Nordost Odin, Valhalla powercables, Neodio and speakers were Raidho Diamonds. When I played Bruce Sprinsteen Brothers under the bridge. The articulation of his voice was by far not that open and clear as with my own set.

Also in speed and timing it is different. There is also more resolution in the highest freq. as well with my pre amp and roomcorrection. All these parts make the stage wider and deeper. At the end it gives a more 3D presentation.

All my cables and conditioner are worth far over 50.000 dollar. They are very important as well.

Purist powercables are in my opinion the best in the world. Because they do all the different parts for the absolute sound exeptional well.

Same about the most expensive cables Audioquest makes.

They both can give a set a stunning black level to die for.

Every single part in my set has been tested over and over again before I buy it. When you are a perfectionist you are Always busy in making it better. This never stops. I do this in everything I do. This weekend I will pick up my Taylor made Italian pair of trousers. I had to wait for 5 weeks before it is made and shipped from Italy. I have in my head how I want it to be. And with sound it is the same story.

A few weeks ago I Compared my Olive 06HD with the Aurender S10 and the Wadia s7i. With the cables I use the stage of the Olive is a lot bigger than with the Wadia and Aurender. This gives you a superior freedom of voices and instruments in a 3 dimensional image. The Aurender is a poor source in my opinion. It does not have a soul. I have listend to it with 5 different Dacs. All sounded like shit, it misses also flavor. With classical music you are aware how poor it is. It sounds like a class D amp. No heart. The Olive has much more flavor. Instruments and voices are so much better separated. Also compared to the Wadia the stage was in my set a lot bigger. In the lowest freq there are more layers with the Olive and timing is better compared to the Wadia. Because with the cables I own I can get a superior level out of the Olive. It is a shame they had such a bad service in the US. In my country a company did do the service with all the spare parts.

The person who did Olive in my country has visited me a few times. He also does Ayre, Sonus Faber and Audio research ( They also sell Transparent and Wilson Audio). He calls my set the best he ever heard.

The Authority is also superior to the XP-20. I can play louder with the same amp compared to the XP-20. There is more control. The needle moves later compared to the XP-20 at the same volume.

I have two questions: Do you listen to analog? What speakers do you have in your system?

These days I buy a lot of music from Qobuz. I have bought for over 1000 dollar in streaming music in less than 3 months of time. Many master recordings. Qobuz is superior to the recordings of HD Tracks. When I compare them, Qobuz recordings are more dynamic and open. When you have this level in sound you are not interested in analog anymore. It is also the freedom in listening. You can hear many hours in one time. You become in a trance. This is priceless. It is a new and higher level of listening to music for me.

I use the Pl-200 of Monitor Audio. These speakers can create an extreme 3D stage. Monitor Audio is exeptional good in making crossovers. These speakers have a spl of 118db. the low freq and mid unit are made from carbon and alluminium. Very light and stiff. Magnets are big so you have a lot of control. The ribbon tweeter can give a more touchable image than a normal dome tweeter does. Also it can project the stage more infront of you. The speaker can also play far behind and even beside the speakers. The combination of the crossovers and ribbon tweeter makes the stage even wider and deeper togheter.

The same thing about my Platinum subwoofer. The material of the 15 inch unit is made from carbon and allumium. This makes it ligher and a lot faster in response compared to competitors.

The Audyssey Pro measurment with my way of measuring gives a full stealth integration with the subwoofer. I have the new reference subwoofercabe from Audioquest Wild dog. Pure silver as well.

Cables are: Audioquest Redwood bi-wire, brand new XLR Wild Blue Yonder from Audioquest, a few Purist Audio Limited edition powercables, Acapella pure silver XLR.

I think I will buy the new Pass Labs X350.8 in a few months.