"int-25"
 

After three years, decided it is time to rotate back to solid-state, so ordered an INT-25. My Canton Ref 9Ks has done so well with 20wpc of Class A tubes that am thinking that 25wpc of solid-state Class A should (I hope) be just the ticket. Supposed to have confirmation on shipping some time tomorrow. The waiting has begun.

https://www.audioaficionado.org/atta...1&d=1638497583

Edit: OUCH!! Pass is quoting 13 weeks delivery with a $350 price increase. Ah, well. Like my new car, likely be the amp I die with (am 74).

Congratulations on the new purchase Glenn. Nelson Pass is a genius designer and utterly committed to his craft.

I've heard numerous iterations of his gear and everything he produces is special. If I wasn't going into a tube amp I'd look hard at his Class A offerings as well.

25 pure Class A watts will no doubt drive your 9K's to sonic bliss. :yes:

Pass makes some awesome gear. Though I’m updating my system in a serious way, I’m seriously considering keeping my Pass 260.8s. If they get replaced it will only be by some EMM Labs or Boulder monos.

Congrats, Glenn.

Please post your impressions when you get your INT-25...I'm very curious about it, as well. I seriously considered getting one after building my little AmpCamp amps (until I got a Constellation Inspiration integrated amp in on a loan, that is. Sorry, a bit off-topic).

Like most folks here, I'm a huge fan of Nelson's designs and products.

Glenn, congratulations on your new acquisition, Nelson Pass designs some very nice amps, please enjoy!

Btw the price increase you mention of about 5% seems to be pretty reasonable, well below the increases of 10-20% I’ve been reading and hearing about in the rest of the industry (Ivan please correct me if I wrong).

Thanks, all. Unfortunately, 'tis a long wait.

Am also a fan of Nelson's work. A big part of that is his use of vertical FETs (developed by NEC and used by Sony & Yamaha back in the late 70's - early 80's, my 'screen name' alludes to the Yamaha B-2 VFET amp I used for many years). Nelson developed the guiding principles for amps with no degeneration and feels that is the reason the 25wpc INT-25 & XA25 class A pieces work so well on so many speakers.

Another reason I've given much thought to the INT-25 & XA25 is the fact that Neson is using only two power device (each rated at 700watts & 40amps) per channel. To my ears, the best sounding amps I've used over the years have always been those that use only two output devices (Bryston's unfortunately no longer offered 2B-LP and tube amps with only two tubes per channel). These amps have always provided a speed & clarity that the use of additional output devices seems to blur, for a lack of a better term. From the reviews I've read, there have been quite a few, most folks find the INT-25 & XA25 to offer these attributes.

Very cool Glenn. I often wondered what your screen name meant.

Yes......... VFETs rule for clarity & speed. :thumbsup:

I just got finished talking with Desmond at Pass Labs. He tells me my INT-25 is one of the last pieces for which they are quoting 12-13 weeks. He said they are swamped with orders and will quoting 22-24 weeks soon. As he said, good for them in the sense that business is good, but not good in that they can't get their products to customers in a more timely fashion.

Forgot to mention that I spoke to another Pass dealer who told me that he expects another round of price increases "soon". Not just from Pass but from any number of other high-end companies. Glad my order is 'in the queue'.

Hoping that one might shake lose sonner, so, any news on the amp Glenn?

Still March, at best.

Same here. :sigh:

Just informed that some critical parts are at least another month out so add at least another 12 weeks from now (ordered mid-Dec). Unfortunate, but it is out of my and Pass Labs hands. Am guessing the events taking place in eastern Europe will be no help on so many things supply-chain related. All I can say is I am soooooo happy I bought my new car in June before all this happened.

Sorry to hear this Glenn. My dealer told me he should be able to verfiy in the first week of March whether the 1502 will be on Mc's production schedule for March. I'm assuming if they don't have all the parts they need to build the units then it won't be on their production schedule. Could be wrong about that though. I'm keeping my fingers crossed on it, but after all this waiting I'm not getting my hopes up.

What's going on in Eastern Europe is utterly dreadful and needs to stop.

Still waiting Glenn?

Nevermind. Just saw you are travelling. Enjoy the trip.

Yep. Siesta time in Bilbao (wonderful city). Biarritz tomorrow for a few days then on to Paris. Will bug Pass Labs a couple of days before we head home.

Got in Thursday evening (first ride on a 787 - quite nice) from Heathrow (always a trial - world's worst int'l airport).
Talked to Pass & the retailer yesterday and my INT-25 ships on Monday. Guessing about a week to get here from the west coast.

Very nice Glenn! Month long vacation and great news awaiting you upon your arrival home. Please let us know when it shows up at your door. :thumbsup:

nice, enjoy. an i agree, nelson pass has designed some fine gear over a long period of time, proven genius

Thx. Looks like a Monday delivery.
On the upside, this time of year I won't need to wait for the INT-25 to 'warm up' (may need to 'cool down' - 97 here on Saturday) before listening. Should be plug-&-play.

My INT-25 has disappeared into the clutches of Fedex and is now listed as "delayed".
Won't be surprised to find out it is now with Ivan's Bryston amp.

The INT-25 made it safely and is singing sweetly. The box has a fair bit of "wear", but everything inside is fine.
Sounds great. :thumbsup: Substantial improvement in bass authority & control and more depth are the two items that jump out from the moment I turned it on. Listening to Dire Straits "Private Investigations" to start. Take care of a few personal admin items then will leave it playing from FM will I mow the lawn. Looking forward to getting some hours on it.

https://www.audioaficionado.org/atta...1&d=1653494194

Int-25
 

Glenn, congrats, well worth the wait, please enjoy [emoji108]

Congrats Glenn. It will only get better with more hours of use. Love your Canton's too. :thumbsup:

Enjoy Glenn!!

May I ask what the tweaks are on your Cantons...? :D

Beautiful Glenn, enjoy!

Appears to be the ol' vinyl record stack tweak

Yep. I keep telling the digital guys those 0's & 1's stacked on their speakers don't do any good. Has to be vinyl (plus sleeves & jackets) to obtain the full affect. :thumbsup:

Glad the INT-25 arrived safely! I too will occasionally stack a vinyl album or two on the Revels. Brings out the mids nicely :)

Can anyone point me in a direction for Pass Labs dealers in the Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois areas?

Nearest to me is Lyric in Wilmington, DE. They are good to work with.

After a week of 24/7 running I have to say I am very pleased with the INT-25. From an industrial design point-of-view, it is very minimalist, which I prefer. Runs warm, but not hot, so has plenty of ventilation. As for SQ, it has added a significant dose of bass control & depth from my speakers (better damping?). Enough so that for my listening I am no longer considering a sub. In addition, the depth of the sound-field and clarity of the presentation are both improved and recordings that I consider somewhat congested have gained better detail and specificity of both instruments and vocals. Think I'm good amp-wise for some time.

Congrats Glenn!

I hope you enjoy your new amp for many years to come!

Glenn, thanks for sharing, please enjoy!

Terrific review Glenn. Amazing how a good amp can bring a good dose of realism to your listening experience. I knew your Canton's had the bass ability in them. Glad the INT-25 unlocked it for you. :yes: