Bought a new wonderful X250 need some advice

[Stefanoo]

Mr Pass or anybody who actually have experience with this amp.

First of all my congratulation for the beautiful amp.
It sounds great and I had severl people over to listen to my set up and all of them were iso mpressed from the sound of the chain to wonder whether it is better than live event or not (hihi actually I know audiophiles have debated this thing many time saying that recordings are often nicer than the real event).

Now as many of you may remember I build a phono stage last year that is completely single-end.
The sound of everything is primium quility and I am using a VPI Classic with outer ring SDS HRX clamp, ZYX 4D and cables are all MIT Magnum Phono and Magnum 3.3 from phono to line and line to amp. Shotgun S1 bi-wire between the X250 and my B&W.
Wonderful AMMMPPPPPPPP (eheheh sorry I can't stop saying that )

A long time ago, as my first project, I built a little modifieded version of the Aleph P which as many of you know is balance in and out but can work either way.

My question is:

nevertheless the signal from the turntable and the output of the phono stage is single end, would I have any advantage using a balance cable from the pre-amp to the power amp?

Or I have advantage ONLY if EVERYTHING is balance from source to the amp?


Mr. Pass you amplifier is amazing, I wish one day I will be able to make something that nice...
You are the master

[Nelson Pass]

The X250 likes a balanced input for noise reasons. You should
experience a significantly lower noise floor that way, and the Aleph P
is a perfectly good way to get that.

[Stefanoo]

Therefore having a XLR connection from the preamp to the power amp will lower the noise floor.

Nevertheless my phono stage is very quite, the noise floor of your amp referred to the input is already plenty for my phono not to meantion for the noise floor of the vinyl itself.

I mean XLR will only act on noise floor or it also increases the gain of the power amp and changes the distortion of it?
If it is purely for noises performance, it would make more sense with a digital source rather than analog, wouldn't it?

In terms of sound, what changes would I expect from RCA to XLR althoug from turntable to preamp in it is all RCA?

Again a huge thank you for making such nice piece of equipment that really care about how live music sounds, and I have auditioned many other amps, and this is the one who brings the most live music into your house.


I will post some pics next week to show how beautiful your amp is...alhough everybody knows that

[Stefanoo]

Thank you Mr.Pass.
I talked to Joe Abram which suggested me the Magnum M1.3 Proline from pre to power amp and he said BTW, that he really likes your products (you are the master ).

So next week I will receive the M1.3 XLR.


Thanks again for your advice.

I will post some nice pics of the set up later on in the week.

[Nelson Pass]

Originally Posted by Stefanoo

I mean XLR will only act on noise floor or it also increases the gain of the power amp and changes the distortion of it? If it is purely for noises performance, it would make more sense with a digital source rather than analog, wouldn't it? In terms of sound, what changes would I expect from RCA to XLR although from turntable to preamp in it is all RCA?

XLR will not influence the gain of the power amplifier enough
to change your perception. Depending on the specific model
of amplifier, there are subtle differences in distortion
performance between XLR and RCA, but these are pretty
small.

Aside from noise, there are times when using XLR will
really alter the performance - these are the occasions when
the source equipment depends on balanced operation in
terms of noise and distortion for best performance. DACs
are one category where this often occurs, and I personally
think that "X" type circuits in preamps put out a higher
quality balanced signal than single-ended.

That said, it's not a good reason to only use balanced
components if you have a single-ended one you like.

[Nelson Pass]

Originally Posted by Stefanoo

Thank you Mr.Pass.
I talked to Joe Abram which suggested me the Magnum M1.3 Proline from pre to power amp and he said BTW, that he really likes your products (you are the master ).

Since Joe was my sales manager for years at Threshold, I
am not surprised.

Conversely, I like MIT very much, although they have not so
much as bought me lunch, an oversight that can be rectified.

[Stefanoo]

Yeah I know Joe knows you very well ...said that MITs haven't bought my lunch either..... in the sense though that the high range is perhaps very expensive...BUT...they are really terrific cable and the thing with MIT is that you have to have them all from power to speaker to hear the huge coherence and synergy they are capable of...but of course I am not saying anything you probably you didn't know already!


Going back to your previous comment...sorry I don't get the point about...it's not good reason to go to balance if you have the source you like single end...I mean I understand but in my case did I or didn't I make an improvement going balance or Otis just a subtle difference because mu main source is vinyl and single end so no big need of huge noise performance nor super low distortion? What is your experience in this matter? Have you tried a TT single end and then going balance between pre to power? Once more...does it make sense and improves the sound?