[FullRangeMan]

Dear Audiophiles! 

I am looking for a musical power amplifier (up to 3K used  ) to work nicely with my current components: Primare PRE30 preamplifier and Monitor Audio RS6 speakers.
PASS Labs XA30.5 came highly recommended by many of the Solid State experts, and I am wondering if Tube-o-phile community could please suggest any viable alternatives! 

Please chime in! 

Why keep an SS preamp? or use it w/a tube power amp?
When you can use a integrated tube amp.

I suggest you sold this SS pre and put the cash on a better tube amp.
With 91dB you will need around 20W which means a PP amp and PrimaLuna or something exotic as 6C33 or GM70 amp, they are Single Ended and have volume control to CD player:
http://www.had-audiolab.com/products/amplifiers/integrated-and-power

[twitch54]

Twitch,

My apologies. I was trying to be humorous. No point - just light hearted humor. 

LOL, no apologies needed, rather my dim witted ability to comprehend !

[twitch54]

Depending on the tube amp, your "cave" may become a sauna in the summer.

agreed, thus my use of my Rogue M180 mono blocks in cooler months and my Plinius SA102 in warmer, although when biased completely into Class A operation the Plinny does get pretty warm !

to the Op, given your budget either of my amp choices could be had (used) within your budget

[SoundSound]

Thank you all very kindly for your most appreciated help! 

@WGH and @I.Greyhound Fan noted, "Depending on the tube amp, your "cave" may become a sauna in the summer" and "Get the Pass and skip the tubes as they can be a source of a Headache when one starts to go bad".
Also earlier @woodsyi mentioned something VERY important in my book: "The lower end can be looser too due to lower damping power". 

I think Pass Labs XA30.5 will be a good start for my journey. 

Would you recommend me a power cable other than stock, please? 

What balanced interconnects would you consider suitable for connecting my preamp and XA30.5? 

[RDavidson]

For some, the XA30.5 could be the end of an audio journey. It's a REALLY good all around amp. Tough to beat in any significant way without also spending significantly more. You could easily upgrade around it with little chance of it ever being the "weak link" in the chain (depending on speaker choice and/or if you move your cave to a giant music Hall, but even then the 30.5 will hold it's ground as it has quite a bit of current).

[I.Greyhound Fan]

Good choice on the Pass.  As R.Davidson pointed out, the amp can become the center piece of your system for years to come as it is that good.

For XLR cables, consider Belden 8402.  I use a pair of them and they sound better than my Cardas Parsec and Audioquest Columbia which both cost $350 or more.  The Belden 8402 cost less than $100pr.

https://btpa.com/IC8402XLR-XX.html

or since you live in Canada, you can buy them here for a bit more for Cryo treated cables.  ( don't make a big deal about cryo treated, I am not a big believer that it makes much of a difference)

http://www.takefiveaudio.com/categories/219-xlr-interconnect

Skip the after market PC.  Nelson Pass in his manual says they won't change the sound in his amp and I believe him but others may disagree.  The most bang for the buck will be XLR's.   Get the amp, live with it and then experiment with PC's.  Put the money to a good preamp.

[WGH]

I'm a fan of Zenwave, contact Dave to find out if these D3 Interconnect Cables with Furutech 700 Series XLR Plugs are still available for $350 (retail $799)
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=128753.msg1359761#msg1359761

[RDavidson]

Zen Wave cables are the real deal. ULTRA high quality and sanely priced. Dave is a great dude, too. Those D3's are a great recommendation and a huge bargain.

[SoundSound]

Thank you all very, very much indeed for all your most appreciated help! 

Expecting a delivery of my XA30.5 in about 10 days: Customs and Border agency takes its sweet time...

Now I need to get a pair of XLR interconnects: following @I.Greyhound Fan's recommendation, will order from TakeFiveAudio (finally, a Canadian company I can order from to avoid all this cross-border hustle). Do you know if this particular type of cable, Belden 8402, flexible enough to be routed between the components easily? 

@WGH, I wish I could afford Zenwave, but $350 for 1m cable is way too much for me... 

I must confess I am not very good with the computers... Could you guys, please, help me to find Canadian company I can order a block of solid wood to place XA30.5 onto (similar to what @twitch54 is using for his Rogue M180 mono blocks)? 

[I.Greyhound Fan]

The Belden cable is flexible.  You will be pleased with it.  It clearly outperformed my expensive Cardas Parsecs and AQ Columbia 72v DBS cables which sound very good.  Of course, things sound different in different systems.  But for $90 for a pair, if you don't like them, you can sell them.

For an amp stand, you can always use a block of Granite, Marble or make your own out of wood.

[JackD]

Try these on Ebay.ca.  All Canadian sellers.

http://www.ebay.ca/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=butcher%20block&rt=nc&LH_PrefLoc=1&_trksid=p2045573.m1684

[JakeJ]

On the butcher block you want maple over other woods.

The Neotech NEI-3004 cables are the ones to get, IMHO.

Here is another Canadian cable company that has very high quality products.
http://audiosensibility.com/blog/

[SoundSound]

Thank you all, as always! 

@JakeJ Could you please elaborate a bit on your recommendation "On the butcher block you want maple over other woods." 

As @RDavidson noted "... the XA30.5 could be the end of an audio journey." I sincerely hope it will be for me! 

Do guys see any potential problems using my Audioquest Type 4 speaker cable terminated in Banana plugs with XA30.5? Should I change my speaker cable, please? 

@twitch54 What preamp are you using with your Plinius SA102, please? Looks like LS27 from Audio Research... Are you happy with the sound when your power amp is in class A? 

As @I.Greyhound Fan kindly noted regarding preamps, "My top 2 are the Pass #1, ARC #2.  If you get the Pass, consider a Pass XP-10 or X-1 preamp, a BAT VK-32se, 33se, 52se or an ARC LS-27, Parasound JC-2 but these will cost $3000 and up used.  Cary makes some nice preamps like the SLP-05...
For SS preamps, I would put them in this order-  XP-10, Parasound JC2  (both the JC2 and XP-10 are interchangeable but for system synergy with the pass amp I give the nod to the XP-10..." 

Here comes the eternal question regarding system synergy between SS/Tube preamp and SS power amp working in class A...  Which way to go with the preamp: SS or Tube?

[I.Greyhound Fan]

I love the sound of the ARC LS-27.  I like tubes in a preamp and SS amp.  If you go with the Pass, get the XP-10 not the X1.  The LS 27 is a fantastic preamp.  It was high on my list when I was looking for a tube preamp.  I ended up with a BAT instead.  Prices on the LS 27 have dropped because of the newer version. 

You will have to decide for yourself.  You won't be lacking if you go with a Pass XP-10 due to system synergy.  Just remember, if you buy used with high end gear, you can always turn around and sell it for basically what you paid for it minus shipping costs or Pay Pal fee's for the most part.

[Big Red Machine]

Do guys see any potential problems using my Audioquest Type 4 speaker cable terminated in Banana plugs with XA30.5? Should I change my speaker cable, please? 

Highly recommend Cerious technologies Graphene Extreme SC's.

[JakeJ]

The general consensus on maple is that it is best for platforms and bases because the grain is finer and tighter therefore less transfer of vibration.  Plus it is readily available and is less expensive than the exotic woods.  Peter Walker likes it best and he does know a thing or two when it comes to turntables.

[Pryso]

"Peter Walker likes it best and he does know a thing or two when it comes to turntables." 

Not saying he didn't know much about turntables, but I think he was more admired for the electrostatic speakers and electronics he designed.

[SoundSound]

I simply cannot thank you guys enough for all your most appreciated help and patience answering all my silly questions! 

Here comes another one… Sorry… 

Should I plug the XA30.5 directly into the wall or employ something like ultra-expensive Furman SPR-20I Voltage Regulator for better sonic results, please? 

Some argue power conditioners may “limit power supply” to high-current amplifier and suggest getting an isolation transformer, for example, 1.8KVA Topaz 91018-32T Line Noise Suppressing Ultra-Isolator, with extremely low inter-winding capacitance (.005pf), instead of expensive power conditioner… 

I am totally and completely lost. Please help! 

[I.Greyhound Fan]

Just get a good surge suppressor like a Brick Wall, Zero Surge or Surgex

 https://www.brickwall.com/collections/surge-protectors-home-theater-hdtv

https://zerosurge.com/plug-in-products-solutions/

http://espsurgex.com/product/standalone/

Or a Cheaper Tripp lite Iso Bar

https://www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-Protector-INSURANCE-ISOBAR4ULTRA/dp/B0000513O4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1495330895&sr=8-4&keywords=B0000513US+%7C+B00006B81D+%7C+B000UD4O8Q+%7C+B00005125L+%7C+B0000511U7+%7C+B0000513O4

[RDavidson]

I simply cannot thank you guys enough for all your most appreciated help and patience answering all my silly questions! 

Here comes another one… Sorry… 

Should I plug the XA30.5 directly into the wall or employ something like ultra-expensive Furman SPR-20I Voltage Regulator for better sonic results, please? 

Some argue power conditioners may “limit power supply” to high-current amplifier and suggest getting an isolation transformer, for example, 1.8KVA Topaz 91018-32T Line Noise Suppressing Ultra-Isolator, with extremely low inter-winding capacitance (.005pf), instead of expensive power conditioner… 

I am totally and completely lost. Please help! 

Plug the amp straight into the wall. This was the advice I got from Pass Labs. The reason is : The fuse will protect the amp. Beyond this, if something electricity related destroys your amp, you probably have more to worry about than your amp, because your home got directly hit by lightning and is probably on fire. You can call Pass Labs. I'm sure they'll probably repeat the above if you're super concerned (as I also was, which is why I called them). But if you want added peace of mind, I think SurgeX makes a great product. Don't get sucked into AC filtering products. The transformer in the amp will filter the power. Filtering type products tend to work best on low power devices like source components, which don't have massive power supplies....and so, are much more sensitive to line noise and small power fluctuations.