YBA Passion Integre

Yes I got one (and fell in love with it)... From what I heard (I auditionned both before buying), the Passion comes in between the Series 2 and Series 1... I tried the basic version of YBA 2 (not the HCDT). The phono stage is better on the YBA 2 but for myself, I will never of a table...

The Series 2 may be a tiny bit more detailled (I guess the interconnects play a role in this, in this case it was a Siltech SQ-88) but the Passion is a bit more powerfull... I guess that for the price difference, it's hard not to buy the Passion... Another good solution would be a used YBA 2 amp/preamp.

I also auditionned the Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista M3. The Passion is less powerfull than the M3 but it is more refined and also the sound was more opened. Unfortunately, I auditionned the M3 in another store so I did not have a side by side comparison...

Obviously, if you are looking most bang for the buck, the M3 is the winner (They are closely priced). If you are looking for an amp that is very refined, detailled without being aggressive (tubelike), the Passion is the winner... Also, YBA products sound close to tube amps... I was looking for an audio Research (VT-100MKIII with LS-16 or LS-25) but it fell out of my budget range.

I also tried a Sonus Faber Musica (50W). Nice integrated amp, it sounds like a 50W on STEROIDS (it felt like more like 100-150W). The Musica is good but lacks transparence compared to the Passion. The music is a bit too laid back to my taste. It's never tiresome (very musical). It's still a great value considering it's price (5,000CDN with no remote control available).

Hope it helps

Hope it helps

Nope. But I hear the Audio Refinement (a YBA subsidiary) Complete integrated amp is actually better sounding and comes very highly recommended.

I'm curious... Can you explain more about why is the Audio Refinement Complete being better sounding than the Passion? My friend has a complete integrated amp along with a YBA 3 CD player... After spending 3 days auditionning my setup, he admitted that if he could afford the upgrade, he would do it (Note: we did not try my amp in his setup nor the opposite)...

If you heard the Passion, what CDP were you using. Also, what were the speakers? One more thing, where did you audition the Passion (I suppose you auditionned it since you state that it sounds better)?

By the way, before buying the Passion, I was shopping for a YBA 2 Amp/Preamp/CD player. I called YBA in France to get info about if there was any plans for a new cd player. They told me not but they memtionned that the Passion was being released late last year. They also mentionned that the Passion is up to par with the YBA 2 AMP/PreAMP.

The only thing I can see about the complete being better is that it MAY be less revealing. Therefore it MAY sound more musical with some recordings...

If you are right and given what they said at YBA, then everyone should sell their Series 2 (or Passion) and get the Audio Refinement...

Best Regards

Sorry Stehno, I did not read your message properly (I readt you heard the Passion not about the Passion). Where did you hear about the Passion not being as good as the Complete?

Let's be gentle with stehno. I believe, after reading his post, that he did not make this evaluation upon AB ing these two amps, but heard through a,rather, tangled grapevine, that esposed data, which all of you guys, including myself, know to be false. This is why,even after reading all the press and Audiogonophiles' reviews, I (we) must trust the ole ears.