Pre-amp suggestions for Thiel 2.4/Pass Labs XA30.5

You can also get a preamp with higher gain so that you get more volume out of your system. c-j and Aesthetix preamps have gain in the 26 db range which is considered high, I believe, if you're interested in tubes. I don't think either has a phono preamp though.

Here's a quote from Nelson Pass from a discussion about choosing a Pass amplifier for the 2.4s...

"The XA30.5 will beat out the X250.5 for the first 20 watts or so because it has a much higher bias, and this is particularly true of low impedance loads. (I used Thiel 3.6's to voice the original Aleph 0, and they were 2 ohms across the board). I suggest you take a look at the article Leaving Class A posted at Pass Laboratories which discusses this in detail."

(from: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/pass-labs/175913-pass-labs-amp-combination-thiel-speakers-need-mr-pass-advice-everyone-5.html)

Hi all ! If it sounds good at lower volumes and gets worse at higher volume change amps . If it doesnt sound right to you at any volume (with the preamp in the system), change the preamp. The Cary slp-03 is killer for $2500 new / $1500 used , a true gem with nos tubes .

Cal3713, I don't read that as Nelson Pass specifically recommending the XA30.5 over the rest of the comparably priced Pass line for the Thiel 2.4's, only as a recommendation below 20 Watts. Seems like a highly qualified recommendation for a speaker that's manufacturer recommends a minimum of 100 Watts. I will grant you that the XA30.5 does seem to behave more like a very high biased 100 Watt "double down" Class AB amp, than a 30 Watt limited pure Class A amp. Perhaps capable of 75 Watts of Class A power into 3 Ohms before sliding into another 225 Watts of Class B power into 3 Ohms? On the other hand, I'll hazard a guess that the X250.5 is probably biased in such a manner as to be able to produce about 18 Class A Watts into 3 Ohms before sliding into about 730 Class B Watts into 3 Ohms? If you have a smaller room and/or don't listen very loud, the XA30.5 could very well work very well for you.

Unsound: This doesn't really matter, and I don't know the true state of affairs because I haven't directly compared the XA30.5 to the X250.5, but if you take a look at the entire thread, you'll see that it is actually a recommendation, and that the thread owner A/Bs the two amps on his 2.4s and vastly prefers the XA30.5. And in my listening, I'm in class A about 90-95% of the time.

In any case, this thread hasn't really addressed my actual issue. Regardless of people's perceptions regarding powering the Thiels with a 30 watt amplifier, removing the Classe from the system and using my PS Audio PWD as a preamp allows me to hear significantly more detail from my source components... so some successful preamp pairing suggestions would still be useful.