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3. in a steady flowing motion, without jolts or interruptions The recipe for an amp smoothie:

Start with articulation and transparency. Add midrange finesse but refuse to bump up color. Combine this with textures that are liquid and ever so slightly warm. Then add a very controlled bottom end. I prefer a bit more bloom but I can’t argue with precision that doesn’t come across as mechanical. Never leave the consumer feeling cheated with any dryness or sterility. Top all of this with toe-tapping musical pacing. Then in the funkdafied and sultry rap-singing words of Me'Shell NdegéOcello from the Plantation Lullabies release, "Sit back. Relax. Listen to the 8-track. I’m Diggin’ You (Like An Old Soul Record.)"

4. without harshness Without a doubt. No discernible grain. As I listened to the under-appreciated Tracy Thorn on Everything But the Girl’s predominantly acoustic Amplified Heart, I frequently felt as though I was hearing her unvarnished voice for the first time; pure, lovely and with every bit of inflection you’d expect from someone describing the mistaken ideals of romance gone south.

5. not tasting sharp or sour Correct. Fast yet smooth. Attacks are not edgy but finely crafted. A crack of the snare is just that. Not a gunshot. And timpani hits don’t stray in a fake way from their limited frequency range. The opening chords of Scheherazade growled menacingly, the rich brass provided proper accents and the woods sang melancholy. The flutes were relaxed. And forty-something minutes later we have the crash of the ship upon the rocks, timpani discharges and all. Quite the adventure.

6. not easily ruffled or upset True. It was self-assured but never presumptuous. The presentation was effortless at any sane volume. Dynamic as hell without the punishment. Let’s call it dynamically slick. And as alluded to earlier, it played well with others, namely various sources, speakers and wiring at diverse price levels.

As I do with most of the gear that comes ‘round for review, I took it on tour to hear how it performed in various systems. Once tweaked, here’s what former moonie and current PFO writer Jeff Day noted about the integrated in his system: "I can say this even after a brief listen: if you want a solid-state amp that has a lot of the magic of superb tube gear like the Leben, the Pass INT-30A is an easy recommendation (but you must buy an Acoustic Revive Reference power cord for it if you really want to hear the magic the Pass is capable of)."

This was right after we listened to $14,000+ worth of Leben preamp and power amp. Not to mention the required power cords, again. With everything else in his system staying the same, it was obvious that the INT-30 held its own. This at less than half the price of the two Leben separates for which it stood in.

7. using insincere flattery and pleasantness especially in order to persuade somebody to do something False. No varnishing over ugly recordings. Tonal emphasis in the lower mids was not to be found.

8. without a beard or moustache Are you serious?

9. offering no apparent resistance to sliding Noise floor? What noise floor? I only knew it was on when I turned it on as evidence by a slight tick from the speakers.

11. spoken without audible breath Wrong. Breathiness was never missing. Different microphones and venues showed their character. No sopranos fell unconscious for lack of high frequency air though that energy was ever so slightly laid back. Which was fine for my ears as have a bit of hypersensitivity in that range.