Κώστας Φ.
Truth hurts. Here's a teddy bear.
- Μηνύματα
- 8.978
- Reaction score
- 895
"The new Pass Labs XA30.5 power amplifier is a direct evolutionary descendent of that long gone Aleph 3 and like the Aleph 3 of old, it is the lowest powered amplifier in Nelson's XA.5 product line at 30 watts. This particular Pass amplifier's evolutionary time line starts with the Aleph series, progresses to the X amplifier designs, then to the XA amplifier designs and finally ends up at 2008's X.5 & XA.5 iterations.
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Summary & Conclusions
The Pass XA30.5 easily surpasses the less expensive but über-performing Audiosector Patek musically and sonically as befits an amplifier selling for more than double. You definitely get what you pay for with the Pass - and then some. The XA30.5 performs nearly in the same league as the Leben CS660P valve amplifier, which has the best combination of sonics and musicality I have ever encountered in a modestly powered amplifier of 40 watts - and the Pass does so at almost half the price.
The Pass XA30.5 is beautifully built and fairly priced for what must be considered to be an ultra-performance amplifier by any measure. The XA30.5's overall character is warm, smooth and a touch dark. It sounds a bit rolled off in the high frequencies but in a very artful fashion that is always consonant with the music. In the bass the Pass is powerful when called on to be as well as taut, extended and tuneful at all times. The overall balance of the amp is hard to fault and likely to be a big hit with listeners wanting a solid-state amp with a musical beating heart. Even though the XA30.5 delivers just 30 watts, it had an authority in the way it drove my Harbeths that suggests far more power. Kick drums were particularly awe-inspiring for their overall impact as they lit up the acoustic of my listening room.
The Pass XA30.5 is very good at reproducing the non-musical sonic aspects of recordings like soundspace, soundstage, imaging and the like. The XA30.5 can give a big billowing soundstage or soundspace if on the recording. Imaging is first rate with lots of body and specificity but it never takes on an overly etched sound that would burst your musical bubble by reminding you that it's just a recording after all. Rather, the sonics are superb at playing a convincing supporting role to the music in what is by all considerations a very canny balance between presenting a recording's full sonic potential plus the full glory of its musical content. Few amplifiers can match the Pass XA30.5 in this regard.
The Pass XA30.5 really impressed me with its ability to reproduce the musical aspects of recordings. Timbre at both the band and instrument level is exquisite. Brass sounds brassy, powerful and spot on; strings are rosiny and harmonically complex; cymbals shimmer and sparkle expressively. Tone color is deeply infused which helps lend expressiveness to the music. Melody, rhythm and harmony all come through with a presentation that is completely engaging and satisfyingly lifelike. It's easy to follow a melodic line through the music and it always makes sense in the way it develops in a continuous musical flow. Melodies flow the way they do in real life. The sense of tempo is artfully presented and always in step with the feel of the music and never slower or faster than appropriate as certain electronics will enforce. The Pass XA30.5 is superb at portraying the emotional expression of music and always, always drew me into the musical experience during listening sessions. At the end of the day, that's what it is all about for me. The Pass XA30.5 amp is the best modestly powered solid-state amp I have ever heard and the best yet to come from the design studio of Pass Labs. Highly recommended."
Full Review: 6moons.com
