Anyone Hear the New .8 Amps Yet

madfloyd said:
...the bass is a tad slower and looser with the XA160.5's the bass is very articulate. With the XA160.8's the bass is faster...
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Completely agree with this. I initially found the bass tighter and punchier when I moved from the XA160.5s to the Xs150s. I also agree that the bass notes may seem "thicker" if you mean "fuller" sounding; I associate this with "texture" and more realism. However, I don't find Pass "boomy" which I associate with too much resonance and/or a bass node(s). To be completely honest, however, I'm realizing I favor more bass in my listening experience as I feel it sounds truer to the real experience.

From my limited Alexia exposure, I think Pass electronics would make an incredible pairing. Please keep us posted as I was very close to ordering a pair of Wilsons myself and am very interested in your findings.
 
mdkim said:
Completely agree with this. I initially found the bass tighter and punchier when I moved from the XA160.5s to the Xs150s. I also agree that the bass notes may seem "thicker" if you mean "fuller" sounding; I associate this with "texture" and more realism. However, I don't find Pass "boomy" which I associate with too much resonance and/or a bass node(s). To be completely honest, however, I'm realizing I favor more bass in my listening experience as I feel it sounds truer to the real experience.

From my limited Alexia exposure, I think Pass electronics would make an incredible pairing. Please keep us posted as I was very close to ordering a pair of Wilsons myself and am very interested in your findings.
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I do like a solid foundation myself. I resisted solid state electronics for a while - especially with Wilsons because I found that presentation thinner than I like it. I love the Sashas and Alexias with Doshi electronics because it brings out body (along with holographic soundstage etc) but ended up going with Pass because I wanted pure timbre for classical music (for which I'm a novice listener). The .8 brings me much closer to tubes when it comes to scale and flesh and of course brings bass control that's hard not to appreciate.

Boomy is probably not the best word because it infers a node. I do have a node around 30hz and perhaps that's what's happening, but I'm not sure. Bass seems to be a problem with material that has low frequency information (think modern jazz recordings with acoustic bass) where it can come across as boomy (in my room) as I can't hear bass texture, just pitch and it sounds HUGE as if it was mic'd and amplified. Again, this might be just my room wreaking havoc. On material that doesn't go that low, it can be incredibly impressive and welcome.

Did you notice any change to the higher frequencies when you upgraded to the XS, Michael? Btw, what type of music do you listen to?
 
It's been a while but from my recollection what struck me most was tone and just how clean and separated each and every instrument sounded in my recordings (characteristics I lauded the 160.5s for). It was an eye opener for me. I wrote a quick blurb on another site but I no longer have access to it.

I listen to everything but mainly classic/soft rock, folk and jazz. I've tried to get into classical music more but there's so much nuance and information that I quickly lose patience;
one day I suppose.
 
Thanks for the reply, Michael. So you didn't find any loss of high frequencies when you upgraded?


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I've swapped so many components and things since then that I lose all points of reference except what's immediately in my room. I will add that everything I've changed has improved the sound though :weird: :peace:. Lol!
 
madfloyd said:
I do like a solid foundation myself...The .8 brings me much closer to tubes when it comes to scale and flesh and of course brings bass control that's hard not to appreciate.

Boomy is probably not the best word because it infers a node. I do have a node around 30hz and perhaps that's what's happening, but I'm not sure. Bass seems to be a problem with material that has low frequency information (think modern jazz recordings with acoustic bass) where it can come across as boomy (in my room) as I can't hear bass texture, just pitch and it sounds HUGE as if it was mic'd and amplified. Again, this might be just my room wreaking havoc. On material that doesn't go that low, it can be incredibly impressive and welcome.

Did you notice any change to the higher frequencies when you upgraded to the XS, Michael? Btw, what type of music do you listen to?
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Hey MadFloyd,

i have been been reading your adventures as carefully as I am able because you are very very focused on fine tuning some issues which have serious financial implications...new amps, speakers, cables, etc. just about all of us have been here at one time or another.

somehow, like a CSI episode...all your various comments are not adding up to me intuitively that the 160.8s are going to create a bass boom that masks the highs. Somehow I do wonder if there is something about how your room handles bass that is 'doubling up' on some frequencies and masking treble. I can say in my own room I have 3 CDs where if I play a certain track, the bass node kicks in hard...also about 30hz...and all I hear at loud volume in one spot in the room is a deafening roar at that frequency. Fortunately I pretty much never listen from that one spot.

I thought the ultra vs under your Alexias might help, but they may not if it ain't the floor. Does the treble mask occur no matter where you sit? Just curious next time you hear it, what happens if you move off to the side...well away from original listening seat. In my case, that node, masking effect disappears as soon as I am out of that spot.

Most curious...
 
madfloyd said:
I do like a solid foundation myself. I resisted solid state electronics for a while - especially with Wilsons because I found that presentation thinner than I like it. I love the Sashas and Alexias with Doshi electronics because it brings out body (along with holographic soundstage etc) but ended up going with Pass because I wanted pure timbre for classical music (for which I'm a novice listener). The .8 brings me much closer to tubes when it comes to scale and flesh and of course brings bass control that's hard not to appreciate.

Boomy is probably not the best word because it infers a node. I do have a node around 30hz and perhaps that's what's happening, but I'm not sure. Bass seems to be a problem with material that has low frequency information (think modern jazz recordings with acoustic bass) where it can come across as boomy (in my room) as I can't hear bass texture, just pitch and it sounds HUGE as if it was mic'd and amplified. Again, this might be just my room wreaking havoc. On material that doesn't go that low, it can be incredibly impressive and welcome.

Did you notice any change to the higher frequencies when you upgraded to the XS, Michael? Btw, what type of music do you listen to?
Click to expand...

Sounds a bit like my room, except that mine I think is worse. The more pure your amplification, the more bass issues in one's room become obvious.

Deqx eq has resolved a whole lot of my "mud" issues by first calibrating the speaker ( under 200hz only) and some judicious eq attenuation in the bass really helps any recording that has bass. In fact quite a fundamental change in bass definition that I cannot do without it.

Your XP-30 is perfect as just put it in the tape loop so you can listen pure or with deqx.

I was at mates place last weekend, he has Alexia's and with high bass energy tracks the bass became a little boomy. He had just had the deqx in for a review and it helped a lot with his 100hz bass hump. He does not mind the hump as he does not listen to a lot of bass heavy music but I found it a little bothersome with music with bass energy.

good luck
 
The tape loop idea is very interesting. Being able to switch it in and out is very attractive.


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madfloyd said:
The tape loop idea is very interesting. Being able to switch it in and out is very attractive.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
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You also get maximum resolution from the dsp as no bit stripping with the tape loop as it is at unity gain.
 
LL21 said:
Hey MadFloyd,

i have been been reading your adventures as carefully as I am able because you are very very focused on fine tuning some issues which have serious financial implications...new amps, speakers, cables, etc. just about all of us have been here at one time or another.

somehow, like a CSI episode...all your various comments are not adding up to me intuitively that the 160.8s are going to create a bass boom that masks the highs. Somehow I do wonder if there is something about how your room handles bass that is 'doubling up' on some frequencies and masking treble. I can say in my own room I have 3 CDs where if I play a certain track, the bass node kicks in hard...also about 30hz...and all I hear at loud volume in one spot in the room is a deafening roar at that frequency. Fortunately I pretty much never listen from that one spot.

I thought the ultra vs under your Alexias might help, but they may not if it ain't the floor. Does the treble mask occur no matter where you sit? Just curious next time you hear it, what happens if you move off to the side...well away from original listening seat. In my case, that node, masking effect disappears as soon as I am out of that spot.

Most curious...
Click to expand...


I spent this past weekend doing a lot of listening and experimenting with speaker placement. I'm not done, but I've learned a lot and made great progress.

My room is tricky because no two walls are parallel. At the end where the speakers are, it is only 12 feet wide (it's something like 17 or 18 feet wide at the other end). This makes it real tight to get any distance between the speakers and still have them away from the side walls. In any case, I think I can safely say that the bass was in fact masking the highs because I have a nice amount of high frequencies now.
 
Long Thread..... I have been working through a variety of Pass electronics for my Avantgardes. Over the past couple of months, have had, First Watt S1s, XA.30.5, XA30.8 and now XA100.8 in the system. Each step in that chain has been an improvement. I'm considering making the final step up to XS150.... I'd love to hear any feedback from anyone that has heard XS and the .8 series side by side.
 
annapolis Raider said:
Long Thread..... I have been working through a variety of Pass electronics for my Avantgardes. Over the past couple of months, have had, First Watt S1s, XA.30.5, XA30.8 and now XA100.8 in the system. Each step in that chain has been an improvement. I'm considering making the final step up to XS150.... I'd love to hear any feedback from anyone that has heard XS and the .8 series side by side.
Click to expand...

If you can swing it, I'd say Xs without hesitation. The improvement, to my ears, was so clearly and convincingly better than my XA160.5s that I could not not buy them. The benefit/cost always plays a role but when you KNOW something is better the money becomes slightly less relevant.

From what I've heard from others, the .8s come closer to the Xs so it should also be considered. Good luck and keep us posted.
 
madfloyd said:
I spent this past weekend doing a lot of listening and experimenting with speaker placement. I'm not done, but I've learned a lot and made great progress.

My room is tricky because no two walls are parallel. At the end where the speakers are, it is only 12 feet wide (it's something like 17 or 18 feet wide at the other end). This makes it real tight to get any distance between the speakers and still have them away from the side walls. In any case, I think I can safely say that the bass was in fact masking the highs because I have a nice amount of high frequencies now.
Click to expand...

Great stuff...really happy to hear all the great progress.

I am curious...where are you at this moment vs the time before the Shunyata cables, Ultra 5s and 160.8s arrived? It sounds like you are driving your system further forward and not finished yet (are we ever finished? ;) )...but I am hopeful you look back now and are very happy with [several] really good improvements over prior performance...again, with hopefully more to come soon.
 
Thanks MdKim... I've heard different things from different people regarding the Xs. Is the .8 series 75% of an Xs? 85%? 90%? I thought the .8 series was a significant improvement over the .5 series on both the Avantgardes and the Maggies. I'm quite happy with the XA100.8s as is. For me to justify going hog wild with an XS amp, it would have to best the CJ stuff on the maggies and become my primary gear. The 100.8 doesn't quite cross that bridge.

I've already spent way too much in 3 months this year. I'll probably let the dust settle........

At least until I find someone willing to lend me a Xs for a week or two, :snicker:
 
annapolis Raider said:
Thanks MdKim... I've heard different things from different people regarding the Xs. Is the .8 series 75% of an Xs? 85%? 90%? I thought the .8 series was a significant improvement over the .5 series on both the Avantgardes and the Maggies. I'm quite happy with the XA100.8s as is. For me to justify going hog wild with an XS amp, it would have to best the CJ stuff on the maggies and become my primary gear. The 100.8 doesn't quite cross that bridge.

I've already spent way too much in 3 months this year. I'll probably let the dust settle........

At least until I find someone willing to lend me a Xs for a week or two, :snicker:
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Reno HiFi may do a 30 day trial on the Xs amps. I know they do them on Pass' other gear. You will have to pay freight back should you return them (probably less than $800) however.
 
Thanks again Michael, I have a Pass Dealer.... he just doesn't have Xs at the moment. I'm in no rush....Another question though. Are you using the stock power cords? I'm not a big power cord fan. Generally use the stock cords. On the few occasions that I have changed them out, its been for Furutech. I know this has been an area of discussion concerning Pass Products in general.
 
annapolis Raider said:
Thanks again Michael, I have a Pass Dealer.... he just doesn't have Xs at the moment. I'm in no rush....Another question though. Are you using the stock power cords? I'm not a big power cord fan. Generally use the stock cords. On the few occasions that I have changed them out, its been for Furutech. I know this has been an area of discussion concerning Pass Products in general.
Click to expand...

Great question. I'd love to know what power cords people are mating with their Pass gear.
 
LL21 said:
Great stuff...really happy to hear all the great progress.

I am curious...where are you at this moment vs the time before the Shunyata cables, Ultra 5s and 160.8s arrived? It sounds like you are driving your system further forward and not finished yet (are we ever finished? ;) )...but I am hopeful you look back now and are very happy with [several] really good improvements over prior performance...again, with hopefully more to come soon.
Click to expand...

Tough question in some respects. I don't know how much the Ultra 5's are doing for me right now to be honest. I'd have to take them out from under the amps to see - and of course at some point I want to try them again under my speakers.

There's no doubt that I've moved forward in the presentation of rock music. Probably classical as well. Jazz is where I'm still struggling. I think it comes down to speaker positioning and that it's going to be a challenge to nail it. It seems I have to have the speakers about 6 feet out into the room to stop the deep bass from exciting my 30hz room node. The challenge when the speakers are that far out is to not have the midrange thin out where the upper mids can get nasty (Wilson being designed to be closer to the front wall and all...).

I'm going to try some different power cords and see what happens but other than that I think my priority is to nail down the speaker position (which prior to getting the .8's I thought I had done...).
 
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