DS direct to pass labs amplification

Audio Components Amplifiers
1

Hi all.

I know we have some folks w pass labs gear. Has anyone had a directstream driving pass labs gear direct? Impressions? I currently use my DS hooked direct and I like it. Thx. Tim

2

For about 6 months, I used my DSD direct to an X250.8. It sounded excellent.

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3

I have the DS driving my XA60.5 for years and only occasionally swapped in a preamp. From cheap to fairly expensive. Always went back to direct connection without a preamp. It is hard to describe, but I really love it that way!
Even when I moved all the gear (except the amps) out of the soundstage to the sidewall, which required longer (23ft) balanced connections, the DS didn´t show any weakness. It just delivers.

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4

Thanks guys. I’m debating buying the dream amps used - or to consider a pre plus lower tier amp. I do have another decent pre but it is not xlr

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I find my direct setup today has a quieter background. Possibly because I am using the xlr.

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I view the amp as the foundation of the system.

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I drove Pass XA60.5 direct from DirectStream Sr for quite some time. Sounded excellent! Adding a BHK pre did make it sound even better, but it’s not that it sounded bad without it.

I would definitely recommend going down the route of getting you dream amp and drive it with the DSS. You can always add a pre down the road as money becomes available (although you might find that you are perfectly content with the DSS as the input to the amp!)

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8

Well right. And I do have an upgraded Cary slp98p I can throw in just to try. I’m really contemplating used xa160.8s driving my Maggie 20.7.

9

Wait–WHAT???
The Cary SLP98 is one of those “forever” pieces from the brain of Dennis Had.
It would be a wonderful match for any Pass amp.
And don’t make the mistake of assuming that XLRs automatically sound better, especially if your interconnect run is shorter than a few feet. I currently have no balanced cables anywhere in my system and it’s dead quiet.

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10

Ok this is great to know. Maybe I have a tube going on me. Or maybe the nos rca 6sn7sare too dark. I love the Cary actually and fret that I’m not using it today. But I did like the direct a bit better. Literally my amp bumps 6db going direct xlr as does the DS. So I will definitely check it out. It could be cable diffs too

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If they’re still available, the Zalytron NOS 6SN7s from Upscale Audio are my favorite version of that tube, and I’ve tried a bunch (in my Schiit Freya+ preamp for my office system.)

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I don’t have any experience with Pass amplifiers and my DS Sr. DAC.

However, FWIW, I used the DAC as a preamp to drive my 500wpc mono amplifiers directly for many months and was very satisfied with the pairing. However, in my room, I prefer the overall presentation with the benefit of Anthem Room Correction (ARC) software, which is available through my AVM 50v 2 Pre-Pro. If it weren’t for ARC, I would still be listening to stereo recordings sans pre-amp.