Pass XA 30.5 or X250.5 enough for Ethos?

Hello,

I have two questions maybe some of you know the answer to:
1. are the 30W of the XA 30.5 enough to drive my Ethos (i listen to medium levels)
2. would also the 15W Class A of the X250.5 be enough to drive the Ethos, or would the Amp jump over it quickly?

I don't know which one makes more sense as they cost about the same...

Thanks for your reply!

I believe the X250.5 has 25W of class A power. I have a X250, and the needle which indicates when it's in class A or AB rarely moves at moderate volume levels with my Summits. I think you'll be fine with the X250.5.

Hi LTD,

Prior to purchasing the 116's, I had the Summit. Peaks would occasionally hit 95 db but, for the most part, the needle on the 250.5 barely moved.

Variables include room size, volume level, and type of music.

Could argue both ways. Assuming you stay within the 30 watt window, the 30.5 will likely be the better sounding amp. I don't know what happens beyond that but I assume it goes into A-B configuration.

If you don't want to worry about any amp headroom issues, the 250.5 might be better. Also, if you go this route and change to a less efficient speaker in the future (as I did with the MBL's) or move your system to a larger room, the 250.5 might make more long term sense.

GG

GG - 'make long term sense' - I will remind you this is an audiophile site . FWIW I am running Summits with a Lavardin AP150 - just 50w - and it has no problems at all. It is rated at 100W into 2 ohm.

I will be trying out a Pass XA30.5 on my Summits early in the New Year so can report back. But I hasten to add that the 30W spec on the XA30.5 refers only to the point where it transitions from Class A to Class B. It delivers 150W into 8 ohms in class B, and the dynamic peak behaviour is quite refined.

Until I try it I won't know for sure whether the XA30.5 can handle the difficult load, but between those two amps, as GG says, the XA30.5 is the better sounding. It can be slightly dark and soft up top compared to other good amps, but its musicality, particularly its ability to capture how music flows and take you along with it, are stunning.

Wow this "upgrade" thing gets bigger and bigger the more I think about it. There are a few options that cost essentially the same. I've got to make a decision for one of the choices below:

Swap the Ethos for the Montis (expensive)
Swap the Akurate DS/D for the Renew DS (cheapest)
Swap the M6i for either the Int 30A, Int 150, XA 30.5 or X250.5 (most expensive)

Wuah... what would you go for?!

Go for the XA 30.5, nothing like pure class A power to get your rocks off! I know from experiance. :music:

If Class A power, required to meet your needs, is below 25 to 30 watts, the 250 or 250.5 should be just fine.

Plus you have the potential "long term" advantages I stated above.

All depends on budget and your personal priorities.

GG

I went from a Pass X250 to the XA60.5's monos and haven't looked back! I don't think you could go wrong with the XA30.5. The power output doubles down as the impedance drops. It also depends on other factors like room size, room treatments, etc. Can you demo the amp?

Either amp will sound great with those speakers. The XA series will give you a little warmer sound; the X series will give you a little more dynamics and headroom for sharper transients. Both will sound superb. I have an X-350.5 on my Ascents and couldn't ask for a better sounding amp.

Thanks for all your replies - I'm really into that pass thing now ... lets see. I talked to passlabs and they told me I should go for the Int 30A instead of the Int 150 because the Ethos has a powered sub.

Actually I can't demo the amp - but I try to find a dealer near me. I got a very very tempting price for a new Int 30A (i need the inputs), however, without demo I'm not willing to spend so much money.

As for the Montis, I'm not sure if I really "want" them. This sounds stupid, but the Ethos deliver about anything I want (my room is only 25sqm). No joke, but for me their base on -3/-4 is already the limit. They sound better than anything I've heard so far ... no but =)

Next week I will give the Renew DS another try and maybe I can listen to the Montis next year. Then I'll see what suits my needs best.

I just bought a Pass Labs INT-30A yesterday. I also just bought a McIntosh MVP-881 player. I am considering the M-L Ethos also. My other speaker choice is Magnepan 1.7. I look forward to your results. My use will be for home theater mainly. I am going to try to live with a 2.0 system. I have had 5 speaker surround systems since Dolby ProLogic.

mikegeorge said:

I look forward to your results.

Click to expand...

You may be waiting a while for his results, considering this thread is over a year old. Congrats on your components. Sounds like you are putting together a nice system.

Highjack

I just found a deal on a M-L CLX 25th Anniversary edition. How will the Pass Labs INT-30A work for the CLX's? I will mostly watch movies. I like detail and substance over dynamics. I have been using Infinity Modulus's for my main speakers for a few years without a subwoofer.

I believe a reference speaker of that size deserves some major horsepower to perform at or near optimum.

GG