Anyone Hear the New .8 Amps Yet

Hey Guy's

The XA100.8 and XP20 were very impressive out of the box. I know they need several hundred hours but I was surprised at how good they sounded. Great bass and midrange, extremely black background. We will wait for the opinion of others though because my ears have listened to many brands lately and it's all becoming a blur .
 
David,

Very exciting stuff.

Can you tell us a bit more about the system being used in the comparison? Are you using the d3's? Can't wait for more.

I am particularly interested to hear if you think the "heaviness" often discussed regarding the .8's is bass extension or bass tilt-up and also whether you perceive the speed and bass control of the .8's to be up to the challenge of the d3's (in other words, can they compete with Solution and Constellation gear on the d3's in this regard)?

Thanks,
 
All auditioning is being done with each brands matching preamps on a pair of Dynaudio C-2's. Front end is an Accuphase DP-550. Tara Labs cabling throughout.
 
Unfortunately I'm not using the D3's. The C2's work better for my room. But I do have the new version of the D3's shipping out Monday . I'm using TL zero gold , omega gold and cobalt power cords . I'm actually using the T+A HV MP3000 for the front end. I'm a little limited on speakers at the moment. I have original D3's, Revel Studio2's, Dynaudio C2's in house, with the Dynaudio Temptation and new D3's coming soon. I have not done a side by side comparison but first impressions tell me that the Soulution and Constellation are a better match for D 3's. I the the Pass would work well with the Magico S series just fine . Keep in mind I don't have even24 hours on the Pass gear yet. All of the gear I have sounds incredible but I have not done back to back comparisons . I have had each brand in my room for at least a week before moving to another so it's hard for me to remember because it's all so good . I do know that Soulution and Constellation will sound good with any speaker I have had . I can't say that about some of my other electronics . More carful speaker selection may be required. Just my opinion though and I will have two fresh pair of ears over tomorrow that can give you guys some feed back .
 
As for the pass competing with the soulution and constellation that will be strictly dependent on room and individual taste. At this level all of the equipment we are speaking of is very good. It's a matter of you liking chocolate vanilla or strawberry.
 
Jock,

Sorry to go off topic, but since joining AudioShark the only thing I have found I like more than this =>

"If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters"

is Mark's Avatar of Adriana. OMG, I don't mean this as misogynistic objectivism just admiration, but talk about your cost-no-object component.....yikes.
 
FlexibleAudio said:
Jock,

Sorry to go off topic, but since joining AudioShark the only thing I have found I like more than this =>

"If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters"

is Mark's Avatar of Adriana. OMG, I don't mean this as misogynistic objectivism just admiration, but talk about your cost-no-object component.....yikes.
Click to expand...

Paul, she's definitely "High End" gear !!
 
Adriana is NEVER off topic!

FlexibleAudio said:
Jock,

Sorry to go off topic, but since joining AudioShark the only thing I have found I like more than this =>

"If you have integrity, nothing else matters. If you don't have integrity, nothing else matters"

is Mark's Avatar of Adriana. OMG, I don't mean this as misogynistic objectivism just admiration, but talk about your cost-no-object component.....yikes.
Click to expand...
 
She has got me reprimanded by the wife a couple of times for gawking......just cant help myself. The Mrs. doesn't believe I am only studying Marks's great system:

Classe CP800 preamp
Classe' CA-M600 monoblocks
Revel Salon 2 Speakers
Lumin Network Music Player
VPI Classic TT
Manley Chinook
Lyra Kleos mc cartridge
Shunyata Zi-tron Python sp cables,
Cobra Zi-tron power cords and XLR interconnects
 
Ian,

I hope you don't mind me copying your extremely well written post below from another forum. A very descriptive piece.

As for how the XA160.8 sounds compared to the XA160.5, here is what I think after comparing the two today:
- There is more bass with the .8. It is deeper, punchier and thicker.
- The scale of the .8 is much bigger than the .5, especially at lower volumes. At about 90db the scale starts to get similar.
- It may be that the .8's don't have any less energy in the upper frequencies than the .5's and my impression is because of the extra warmth/bloom of the .8's (giving the impression of less treble). Today I noticed that by boosting the tweeter resistors on the Alexias by .5db it sounded more similar to the .5's.
- In my room, with my gear, the .5's sound more open on top and the presentation is leaner. This allows me to hear the texture of bass instruments more clearly. That said, switching from the .8's to the .5's the upper midrange of the .5's sound thinner and depending on the content I may miss the .8's.
- The .8's may have better 'deep' bass control than the .5's, but since I switched from MIT power cords to the Shunyatas I have no complaints in that area with either amp.

For rock music, I LOVE the .8's. The rich, meaty midrange presence and bloom makes it sound like a tube amp and is great for feeling like you're in a club. It makes me feel like I have much larger speakers and not want for Maxx's or XLF's.

For jazz, I prefer the .5's. I haven't listened to enough classical yet.

Both are great amps and I have a tough decision to make on Monday!
Click to expand...

Thank you Ian and, again, I hope I didn't violate a protocol. I really felt you did a great job with your post and many would appreciate your thoughts.
 
March 23rd Super Amp Shootout results courtesy of Design Audio Video and David Baskin, rated on a 1 to 5 scale, with 1 representing the best in each category (Please keep in mind that system synergy with loudspeakers is key and that results will vary according to speakers used and room system is housed in. Also personal tastes vary and can influence the outcomes. All the electronics mentioned here are first class performers and the differences are a matter of nuance):

Sound Quality
1.) Soulution
2.) Constellation
3.) Accuphase
4.) Pass Labs

Build Quality
1.) Accuphase
2.) Pass Labs
3.) Soulution
4.) Constellation

Value for the Money
1.) Pass Labs
2.) Constellation
3.) Soulution
4.) Accuphase

The Pass Labs XA100.8 mono amps represent the best bang for the buck here and offer very good sonics with superb build quality. The have very low noise which means the background of music is quiet and dark. The tonality is smooth and a bit soft, especially in the bass department. The imaging is slightly more diffuse than the other amps, but overall these amps provide a rich and rewarding musicality. The listening perspective with the XP-20 preamp is set back somewhat so that the imaging is laid back in terms of the midrange prominence. Hard to go wrong with the Pass amps. Grade: B

The Accuphase A-200 monoblocks offer top shelf performance with a smooth easy to listen to character and full, rich bass. Even with their uber-quiet background, they are probably the most tubey sounding electronics here. The separation in the soundstage is excellent and the clarity and detail keep the listening interesting. The build quality is unsurpassed and is commensurate with their price point. Grade: A-

The Constellation Centaur stereo amp offers incredible detail and clarity with great imaging, a powerful sound and full, meaty bass response. This amp is probably the brightest among the group with a sparkling character that is invigorating to listen to. It is engaging and insightful, revealing details within recordings that were unheard previously. The build quality is good, but perhaps not quite up to the level of the other three contenders. A decent value on a state of the art amp all in all. Grade: B+

Sorry folks, but the Soulution is all it's cracked up to be. It quite frankly does everything well. And it should at the price point. Tight, smoking bass, an open revealing midrange and extended clean treble. The dynamics and ease of play are at the top of the heap. Instruments and vocals are clean and separated incredibly well. There is plenty of air in and around the soundstage. The amp will play music loud without any hint of strain or running out of steam. This is a very involving amp and no doubt one of the best on the market. Hard to fault really. Grade: A+
 
Great write up Peter. Thank you! Must have been a super fun day.

Big thank you to David!! No dealer has better gear!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Thank you for the write-up Peter and thank you to David for hosting the great shoot out. Looks like you guys had a great day.
 
Thank you very much Peter. Were these David's virtually new XA100.8's? Where the other amps more broken in? I am glad to have your feedback and its hard to wait on new amps given the great anticipation of the .8s but i just want to understand the comparison. Thanks again.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top