I may have to try running my DAC as a pre and see the difference. The gain is so low on the J2 that I’m not certain if a passive Pre would be ideal.
The link below has a comparison of the Pass Labs 2 chassis XP-22 with the BHK Pre. The BHK held it’s own quite well (considering it’s much cheaper) so I’m not certain if a Pass Pre would be any major improvement. Plus, I do like the idea of tubes in the pre amp.
Two points about the BHK preamp are that it has an excellent headphone amp and you can change the sound by rolling tubes.
The XP-22 sounds better to my ears but I value these two features of the BHK more.
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Good points. I really have no interest in major tube rolling And vintage tubes except trying a set of new Gold Lions.
Having gone through many NOS tubes and the Gold Lions, it’s quite easy to coax better sound out of the BHK Devices. This is in no way a criticism of the OEM Tubes but the lost art of tubes from their golden age in the 50’s and 60’s do in fact sound better. There’s a wealth of knowledge out there and a bit of sleuthing can source some wonderful tubes. BHK designed these devices to be tube rolling friendly.
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I am loving the J2, however, I listen to lots of modern electronic music. The J2 is a bit slow and muffled on such releases. Nothing terrible. However, Reno HiFi told me the Pass labs (25 and 30 watt amps) will be a more dynamic and snappy. So I am thinking of making the switch. Fo Jazz and Classic Rock…the J2 is Fantastic.
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I had a J2. I loved it but at times I felt it was a bit polite.
Now I have an XA25 and it’s glorious. It’s incredibly detailed and lively with zero listening fatigue.
(SE input only, though)
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Another nice thing about the XA25 is you’re not forced to pay for a meter.
Don’t get me started on the meter!
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Interesting some of the commonality in observations. I experimented with a M2 rather than a J2 with my BHK Pre a few years ago. More oomph into lower impedance load than the J2, close to as much oomph as Nelson has ever built into any of his FW amps. Creamy midrange to die for, but simply too polite in the bottom end for my liking. But I wasn’t using Zu’s either. That experiment ended quite quickly with a trade up through Mark at Reno HiFi to my much loved X250.5.
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I had an X250.8 that I loved. But when I moved, it had to go due to it’s size and weight. Great amp, though.
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It’s a freakin’ back breaker. There is a reason I have a buildup of super annoying dust bunnies under my amp stand. Don’t want to risk a hernia moving that monster.
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I have an X250.8. Doesn’t fit in my listening room but fits real nice in the basement underneath the listening room. One hole through the floor, interconnect from BHK Pre and speaker cables back out. It fits real well now and don’t have to worry about all that heat it throws either. 
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Did you cut a hole in the floor for that purpose? If so I’m in … awe. That’s intense hair shirt high end audio right there.
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I’ve traded up through the line of Pass amps over the years (thanks to Reno Hi-Fi’s used inventory and generous trade-in policy) and currently have a pair of XA-160.8’s, which serve a dual purpose.
My listening space is in the basement. Between having to run the A/C in the summer and tempering the use of the furnace in the winter to avoid over-heating the upstairs, the room stays at a pretty constant 64 -65 F. year-round. The previous owner actually installed a small gas stove/heater in the space, which is now my “elephant” in the room.
In addition to their splendid sonics, Nelson’s Class A beasts keep the room at a perfect 70 - 71 F during listening sessions. I love it when a plan comes together.
They are a tad weighty, though. They’re parked on an old pair of Standesign amp stands that I modified with heavier casters and 1/2" aluminum plates to replace the MDF boards. I suppose I should post on the System Photos thread at some point . . .
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My hernia salutes you! 
Heh! 
I call in some extra help or hire movers in the event they need to come off the stands. Otherwise, the heavy-duty casters allow me to wheel them around as needed if I decide to re-arrange things.
When we moved into our current home, I had labeled the cartons as requiring a 2-man lift for safety. Nah! These guys just picked 'em up.
One mover set one of them on top of a stack of regular packing boxes, which did a slo-mo crush under the weight, sending the amp to the floor. Gotta love Nelson’s bulletproof designs. The amp was absolutely undamaged and unfazed by the tumble.
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I cut the hole right under the entertainment table and located the Amp and a DS12 right below. Because it is under the table, which sits low, no one can see the hole. Had an electrician run me a dedicated line for the DS12. Worked out well. The hole made for domestic harmony in family - smaller footprint for the audio equipment. My wife had no problems with the hole after she saw the size of the Pass amp. If we ever sell the house though it might present a problem. 
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