Class A amplifiers - which are considered the best

I have the Pass XA60.5 monos, absolutely love them, described them in enough messages on this board, thus won't bore you again.

As to electricity cost, letting them warm up for about 4 hours before using would get you 95% of their performance. The next level up would be 4 days, and that just does not seem worth the cost, needless to say being wasteful. But really, a 4-hour wait on the XA60.5 easily blows away most class A/B amplifiers out there. Now if you are in a rush, playing immediately after power on would already get you into the better end of class A/B amplifier selection. Nevertheless that's not the point when you purchase a class A amp.

I compared the XA60.5 to the Luxman M600a.
With the Pass you have to strain to hear the details compared to the Luxman. The Luxman after 200 hr break in will wipe the floor over the Pass. It is not as slow sounding it gets more 3 dimensional and is alot more natural sounding than the Pass. Remember Luxman gives fanatical attention to all it's internal parts. For example they do not use parts from other companies. Pass uses an outsourced transformer and transistors etc.
On the contrary, Luxman does not it hand winds it's own custom transformers and uses it's own in house parts.

Clayton Audio, probably the best amps I've ever heard (I owned two of their models). If you can accomodate the heat, weight, cost and electrical draw, it doesn't get better than this (IMHO).

I attended in Taipei, together with other muisc lovers, a comparison between the Accuphase A-60V and the Burmester 911 MK3. The German unit was sonicly much better that the Japan one. The Burmester 911 MK3 is more powerful and widely operated in Class-A. Instead the A-60V is a pure class-A. At my ears the Burmester was very much better in all parameters.

With best regards,
Rocco

>>03-26-10: Faxer
I compared the XA60.5 to the Luxman M600a.
With the Pass you have to strain to hear the details compared to the Luxman. The Luxman after 200 hr break in will wipe the floor over the Pass. It is not as slow sounding it gets more 3 dimensional and is alot more natural sounding than the Pass.<<

Pure BS. I sell both lines.

This fellow obviously is quite inexperienced.

In fact, he sells Luxman but didn't make the disclosure.

Dealer disclaimer.