My New Pass Amps - The Review and Faceoff

[mbovaird]

Originally Posted by jpspock

Hi Mike,

thanks for your outstanding and complete test. I noticed one important thing, the Pass were not burned as the Classe or Mac, so with time they will sound better, like good wine.
I hope one day , I will hear those Xa160.5, which must be a step further comared with the XA100.5

Thank you for your kind words. Yes, the Pass are sounding better and better with each passing hour. I cannot believe the difference the power cord and power conditioner change made. I've tried the WW directly to the wall and it sounded better than the stock cord, but WW PC into the conditioner is a whole new level of performance. I heard both the xa100.5 and 160.5 and they are both outstanding. I almost bought the 100.5 - it's that good. The biggest shocker to me was the little 60.5. If I had super duper efficient speakers, I would bough those little 60.5's in a second. I probably could have gotten away with them on my Strads in a slightly smaller room. A pair of Klipsch Palladiums and xa60.5' would be a juicy combination I suspect.

[ehoove]

Mike,
Thanks for the excellent review, and write-up. I found it a great read and a thorough comparison.
Thanks,
Jim

[mbovaird]

Thank you Jim!

[mbovaird]

Quick update: I have well over 300 hours on the Pass XA160.5's now and they are sounding even better. Combined with the ARC REF10 preamp, its a magical combination. Over the past 300+ hours, they have really opened up even more. I have gone back and forth plugging them into the power conditioner vs straight into the wall. As the amps have broken in, I think I prefer directly into the wall. It sounds a little more airy and highs are sweeter.

Anyone in the market for new amps, should seriously consider the XA series (unless you can go for the XS series ) Absolutely, 100% ignore the wattage ratings. It means nothing. There is so much current going through the XA amps they will drive almost any speaker. As for sound wise, I feel they truly are the best of Solid State and Tube rolled into one amp.

The only downside is like most Class A amps (and some tube amps), they DO get hot. Its not a problem for me, and it might not be for some of you - but don't think you can stick these bad boys in an enclosed rack. They need to have lots of open space around them.

Besides that...they sound terrific.

Mike

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by mbovaird

Where I felt the 2301's fell short, was speed. The lightening fast Classe and the fast Pass produced delightful transients, especially when playing pop or rock music. I kept wanting to pull the 2301's along, saying "faster, faster!" When playing ZZ Top, AC/DC, Stevie Ray Vaughan, I kept thinking "with these amps, my speakers aren't cut out for this type of music." The songs sounded a tad slow....like playing a 33 1/3 record at 32 rpms. That's just not where these great amps play their best. Where the 2301's shine was when playing some absolutely beautiful, flowing, graceful music - like Andrea Bocheli, Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, etc. The 2301's are unmatched in their ability to draw you into his music and provide goosebumps. There is such a wonderful, natural flow to the way they reproduce music.

Mike.......I reread your Pass amps review today. As I stated, it is a good read, although I was negligent in not commenting on the above paragraph in my first post, but I will do it now.

I don't agree with your conclusion about the speed of the MC2301 power amplifiers, not even a little bit. There is no way they sound like a revolution behind 33-1/3. What a strange analogy. Maybe you should put a stobe disc on your turntable. That comment reminds me of comments one hears occasionally about Sonus faber speakers only being good with violin and chamber music. That is so far off the mark as to be almost comical.

I have had the opportunity to directly compare my MC601's and MC452 to my MC2301's. There is no timing differences between these three amplifiers. I can play ZZ Top - Tres Hombres or Stevie Ray Vaughan - Couldn't Stand The Weather through the MC2301 amps and get the same blistering guitar leads with the same dynamic impact and bite that is delivered through my McIntosh solid state amplifiers. I can play Edgar Winter - Winter Blues, Santana - Abraxas, Al Di Meola - Kiss My Axe, Eric Clapton - Crossroads Guitar Festival 2004, David Gilmour - On an Island, and any other great guitarist through my MC2301 without any sensation of lost pace, rhythm or timing. The MC2301 will accurately and faithfully showcase ANY genre of music played, reproducing it in a way that generates excitement and desire to hear it again and again. Do the 2301's sound fabulous with female voice, baritone sax, piano, acoustic guitar and double bass? You know they do. Is that all they do well? Not a chance. Do the 2301's kick ass when the source calls for it? Absolutely, without a doubt! Is the MC2301 capable of effortlessly delivering its full rated 300 watts without a whimper? Of course it is, it's a McIntosh.

While I can appreciate your infectious enthusiasm for your new Pass Class A amplifiers, and I am positive they sound fabulous, the McIntosh MC2301's do not take a back seat to them in any way, shape, fashion, or form. Your opinion is valid for you, but that does not necessarily mean your opinion is fact and the same is true for my opinion. The subjectivity of sound and hearing gives us both merit for our points of view. I have auditioned Pass amplifiers on several occasions, always leaving with a positive impression, but never returning to my systems thinking how much slower they are. That simply isn't true and is not represerntative of my personal experience. Most assuredly, everyone is entitled to their opinion and I respect yours, even if I hardily disagree.

[mbovaird]

Originally Posted by jdandy

Mike.......I reread your Pass amps review today. As I stated, it is a good read, although I was negligent in not commenting on the above paragraph in my first post, but I will do it now.

I don't agree with your conclusion about the speed of the MC2301 power amplifiers. There is no way they sound like a revolution behind 33-1/3. What a strange analogy. That comment reminds me of comments one hears occasionally about Sonus faber speakers only being good with violin and chamber music. That is so far off the mark as to be almost comical.

I have had the opportunity to directly compare my MC601's and MC452 to my MC2301's. There is no timing differences between these three amplifiers. I can play ZZ Top - Tres Hombres or Stevie Ray Vaughan - Couldn't Stand The Weather through the MC2301 amps and get the same blistering guitar leads with the same dynamic impact and bite that is delivered through my McIntosh solid state amplifiers. I can play Edgar Winter - Winter Blues, Santana - Abraxas, Al Di Meola - Kiss My Axe, Eric Clapton - Crossroads Guitar Festival 2004, David Gilmour - On an Island, and any other great guitarist through my MC2301 without any sensation of lost pace, rhythm or timing when compared to my solid state power amplifiers. The MC2301 will showcase ANY genre of music played and do it in a way that creates excitement and a desire to hear it again and again. Do the 2301's sound fabulous with female voice, baritone sax, piano, acoustic guitar and double bass? You know they do. Is that all they do well? Not a chance. Do the 2301's kick ass when the source calls for it? Absolutely, without a doubt! Is the MC2301 capable of effortlessly delivering its full rated 300 watts without a whimper? Of course it is, it's a McIntosh.

While I can appreciate your infectious enthusiasm for your new Pass Class A amplifiers, and I am positive they sound fabulous, the McIntosh MC2301's do not take a back seat to them in any way, shape, fashion, or form. Your opinion is valid for you, but that does not necessarily mean your opinion is fact and the same is true for my opinion. The subjectivity of sound and hearing gives us both merit for our points of view. I have auditioned Pass amplifiers on several occasions, always leaving with a positive impression, but never returning to my systems thinking how much slower they are. That simply isn't true and is not represerntative of my personal experience. Most assuredly, everyone is entitled to their opinion and I respect yours, even if I hardily disagree.

I've done direct AB comparisons. Same preamp. Same source. Same cables. Same room. I stand by my findings. Until you have done the same, you cannot say.

The 2301's are sluggish when compared to lightening fast amps especially with rock music. Without an AB with Pass or Classe or another brand, its impossible to know for sure. I thought the 2301's were fast - but they were slow in the bass area. I kept wanting to pull them along when listening to fast paced music. Without an AB - I didn't notice.

I'm glad you like the 2301's - they are indeed world class and quite possibly the best amps Mcintosh has ever built. But I had a 10 day no obligation money back refund on my Pass amps. If the 2301's bettered them, I would have kept the 2301's and retuned the Pass - happily. But they didn't.

I had an audiophile friend over and our findings were similar and both of us preferred the Pass.

I'm curious, have you tried the XA series in your studio? If not, you might be pleasantly surprised. If you're not interested, that's cool too. Enjoy what you have. But like you found with Esoteric K-03, there is always better gear. As you've found out - keep an open mind, and you might just surprise yourself.

And yes, there is even better gear than what I have. I'm sure the Dart and D'ag amps are incredible. But my 30+ years as an audiophile, having owned dozens and dozens of pieces of gear - I know what I like and I know what I hear.

My dealer offers a 10 day trial if you ever get the itch.

[jdandy]

Mike.......No itch for Pass or Classe' what so ever. I know what I hear, too.

[MDP]

Originally Posted by jdandy

Mike.......I reread your Pass amps review today. As I stated, it is a good read, although I was negligent in not commenting on the above paragraph in my first post, but I will do it now.

I don't agree with your conclusion about the speed of the MC2301 power amplifiers, not even a little bit. There is no way they sound like a revolution behind 33-1/3. What a strange analogy. Maybe you should put a stobe disc on your turntable. That comment reminds me of comments one hears occasionally about Sonus faber speakers only being good with violin and chamber music. That is so far off the mark as to be almost comical.

I have had the opportunity to directly compare my MC601's and MC452 to my MC2301's. There is no timing differences between these three amplifiers. I can play ZZ Top - Tres Hombres or Stevie Ray Vaughan - Couldn't Stand The Weather through the MC2301 amps and get the same blistering guitar leads with the same dynamic impact and bite that is delivered through my McIntosh solid state amplifiers. I can play Edgar Winter - Winter Blues, Santana - Abraxas, Al Di Meola - Kiss My Axe, Eric Clapton - Crossroads Guitar Festival 2004, David Gilmour - On an Island, and any other great guitarist through my MC2301 without any sensation of lost pace, rhythm or timing. The MC2301 will accurately and faithfully showcase ANY genre of music played, reproducing it in a way that generates excitement and desire to hear it again and again. Do the 2301's sound fabulous with female voice, baritone sax, piano, acoustic guitar and double bass? You know they do. Is that all they do well? Not a chance. Do the 2301's kick ass when the source calls for it? Absolutely, without a doubt! Is the MC2301 capable of effortlessly delivering its full rated 300 watts without a whimper? Of course it is, it's a McIntosh.

While I can appreciate your infectious enthusiasm for your new Pass Class A amplifiers, and I am positive they sound fabulous, the McIntosh MC2301's do not take a back seat to them in any way, shape, fashion, or form. Your opinion is valid for you, but that does not necessarily mean your opinion is fact and the same is true for my opinion. The subjectivity of sound and hearing gives us both merit for our points of view. I have auditioned Pass amplifiers on several occasions, always leaving with a positive impression, but never returning to my systems thinking how much slower they are. That simply isn't true and is not represerntative of my personal experience. Most assuredly, everyone is entitled to their opinion and I respect yours, even if I hardily disagree.

Dan, you compared three Mc amps to each other, you didn't bring any other brands into the mix. I would expect all three McIntosh amps to have similar sound.

Until you try other brands in comparison,in "your" system, you really don't have a leg to stand on.

Mike did just what I'm suggesting.

I think his opinion is valid.

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by MDP

Dan, you compared three Mc amps to each other, you didn't bring any other brands into the mix. I would expect all three McIntosh amps to have similar sound.

Until you try other brands in comparison,in "your" system, you really don't have a leg to stand on.

Mike did just what I'm suggesting.

I think his opinion is valid.

MDP......Thanks for your input. Mike can do whatever he likes with his system and make any claims he wishes. I don't have to live with his system. Whatever he does with it won't affect my system one bit. I am not slamming Pass Labs or Mike's system. At least Pass is American made, just like McIntosh. I like what I like, you like what you like, and Mike likes what he likes. I really don't see a problem. I am happy with my systems.

I have listened to Pass amps on several occasions, just not in my system. Who cares. I like McIntosh amplifiers and Mike likes Pass Labs. Big deal. My MC2301's are plenty revealing enough for me to immediately distinguish the differences between the MCD1100 and the Esoteric K-03, including the difference in the lower frequencies. At no point was I waiting on the bass to catch up with the rest of the performance as Mike put it. And if you're trying to say that the MC452 or the MC601's are slow, and my comparison with them has no validity then I can't possibly have much else to say to you about amplifier speed. To each their own.

[catmonv]

Mike, you did a good and wonderful job on the review. Keep posting and the reviews coming. You gave credence to your claim because you had all the three for testing. Keep it up.