Curiosity kills the wallet... my journey into madnes and bliss.
It started with curiosity. Building a DIY F5 I decided to audition Pass Labs amps to see how they sound. I wanted to listen to the INT25, since its based on the XA25 and the reviews indicated this would be closer to my taste. I contacted Tweak and they arranged for me to meet up with Julian who handles things for them in Joburg. I went over to his place this Monday evening and auditioned on an awesome setup - twin XA160.8 monoblocks, fed by XP32s and heard through Wilson Audio speakers. He had an Aurender source. He also has a Strohmtank to clean the power source. Everything was connected through Transparent cables.
It was unbelievable. Throughout the audition the only thing I ever heard was the recording. There was nothing else. Everything would emerge from absolute silence. I don't know how to describe this, but till date whenever listening to music I always get the feeling that there is always something else, like a shadow or a cloud. With my Bryston+Druid combo it was very mild but it was there. It didn't hamper the enjoyment of music but the sense of having something with the music doesn't go away. At the audition all I heard was the recording. I say recording, not just music, because there is something magical about listening to a guitar playing and enjoying the music plus being able to hear when the fingers slip on the guitar chords. Stuff like that. Nothing was hidden or masked. Everything was clean and clear placed correctly on the soundstage.
It wasn't the INT25, but clearly the Pass Labs were something else. So I ordered the INT25 blind. It got delivered today and I just hooked it up. It is freaking amazing. The same clear and clean sound that is not fatiguing at high volumes. The INT25 pairs well with my Druid.
The Bryston B100 and INT25 are world's apart and years apart. I still have a soft spot for the B100 and will keep it. The INT25 can get plenty loud, but the B100 goes louder, so... I'll maybe see what's the B135 is about.
And so begins the demise of my wallet... as I now spiral into improving my source, power, cables... ughhhh.
It started with curiosity. Building a DIY F5 I decided to audition Pass Labs amps to see how they sound. I wanted to listen to the INT25, since its based on the XA25 and the reviews indicated this would be closer to my taste. I contacted Tweak and they arranged for me to meet up with Julian who handles things for them in Joburg. I went over to his place this Monday evening and auditioned on an awesome setup - twin XA160.8 monoblocks, fed by XP32s and heard through Wilson Audio speakers. He had an Aurender source. He also has a Strohmtank to clean the power source. Everything was connected through Transparent cables.
It was unbelievable. Throughout the audition the only thing I ever heard was the recording. There was nothing else. Everything would emerge from absolute silence. I don't know how to describe this, but till date whenever listening to music I always get the feeling that there is always something else, like a shadow or a cloud. With my Bryston+Druid combo it was very mild but it was there. It didn't hamper the enjoyment of music but the sense of having something with the music doesn't go away. At the audition all I heard was the recording. I say recording, not just music, because there is something magical about listening to a guitar playing and enjoying the music plus being able to hear when the fingers slip on the guitar chords. Stuff like that. Nothing was hidden or masked. Everything was clean and clear placed correctly on the soundstage.
It wasn't the INT25, but clearly the Pass Labs were something else. So I ordered the INT25 blind. It got delivered today and I just hooked it up. It is freaking amazing. The same clear and clean sound that is not fatiguing at high volumes. The INT25 pairs well with my Druid.
The Bryston B100 and INT25 are world's apart and years apart. I still have a soft spot for the B100 and will keep it. The INT25 can get plenty loud, but the B100 goes louder, so... I'll maybe see what's the B135 is about.
And so begins the demise of my wallet... as I now spiral into improving my source, power, cables... ughhhh.
