Pass Labs A/B amps vs Class A amp and Actual Power

I have had both amps/monoblocks in my system driving my biamped 20's. I loved the 350.5, until I heard the XA-100's and now have the XA-60.5's which sound beautiful in my system. So, pure power/grunt, is not the issue, in my opinion, the 60.5's will have enough juice and still make your 3.6's sing on a higher level then a 350.5. Take a look at my reviews here on the GON for details on all the above mentioned Pass Labs amps. Nelson is a true genius.

Thanks for the feedback. There is a used XA-60.5 on AG right now; very tempting!

It's just difficult to accept that a 60 watt amp can drive the Maggies with more or as much 'power' than a 350.5 but I we talking about different kinds of watts too.

The Magnepan is an "easy" 4 ohm load to drive. It is just inefficient, thus bringing a LOT of power to the table is better.
My little Forte' 4a plays the 3.6 maggies well. The key is what an amp does into 4 ohms. Nearly all amps and the literature discusses 8 ohm loads. The Maggies are straight 4 ohm loads. So the amp is driving a 4 ohm load. and has to put out twice the power as an eight ohm load for the same effect.
The amp needs AMPERAGE more than watts. IMO the take that maggies don't work well with small amps is because they are talking about amps that do not double into halved loads.

There are not "different kinds of watts" - power, measured in watts, is the product of voltage and current, period. Amps differ in their ability to deliver power across the audio frequency spectrum into loads with complex impedance.

I can see Teajay using the 60.5's in a biamped configuration with the 60.5's on the treble side and another more powerful amp on the bass side to drive his 20's. Music demands far less power in treble than in bass. I'm skeptical that the 60.5 could drive a 20 or a 3.6 full range with satisfactory volume, though.

According to his system page, Teajay is running Threshold SA-1 monos @ 160 watts each on the bass panels and Pass 60.5's on the treble.

It is difficult to know whether the X350.5 or the XA60.5 would be better for you. It depends upon the size of your room, the music you like, and the loudness level. For example, classical music requires alot of power to avoid becoming congested and strained.

There is no doubt the XA.5 is better than the X.5, by a huge margin. However, you may need to consider the XA100.5 (or even the XA160.5) for the 86db load into 4 ohms.

Personally, I would be skeptical that the XA60.5 would do the job. You can arrange a demo from Reno Hifi if you first want to try. Ideally, the XA160.5 would probably be the pick.