Pass Labs xa - .5 amps

06-03-09: Chashas1
Tvad, what speakers are you using with your pass amp?

Silverline Sonata III. 93dB, 8 ohm nominal.

Silverline speakers are voiced with Pass Labs amplification.

Hello Tvad, These pairs has dynaudio esoter tweetors? or is esotec? I need your email address to take some suggestion of speakers for my xa30.5. Thanks.

Silverline Sonata III. 93dB, 8 ohm nominal.

Silverline speakers are voiced with Pass Labs amplification

Wow. Those are nice. Very nice. What a great combination and the Silverline's look great in maple too. You really should put up a virtual system so we can all drool over it! ;-)

With all due respect, I do not understand why one would use efficient, tube-friendly speakers and then use a solid state amp. There are a number of reliable and easy tube amps out there (ie. BAT). Solid state should be for inefficient speakers (4 ohm and less, 90db and below) that have a different set of sonic priorities.

06-04-09: Rtn1
With all due respect, I do not understand why one would use efficient, tube-friendly speakers and then use a solid state amp.

Rtn1, are you referring to me? If so, I have used tube amps with the Sonata III with unsatisfactory results.

The Sonata III have an impedance curve that dips below 5 ohms. They are not as tube friendly as the sensitivity and nominal impedance suggests. Extensive discussions with Ralph Karsten of Atma-Sphere corroborate this conclusion.

As I mentioned, Alan Yun voices his Silverline speakers with Pass Labs amps. There must be a good reason.