Noise levels have been dropped from the already low-noise XP30. Refined circuit design and layout, new gain-stages with auto-bias and DC compensation all combine for optimal performance. But it all comes down to sound; once you listen to the Xs preamplifier, there is no going back....
I need to begin this review by admitting the Pass Labs Xs Preamp is the most expensive preamp or amp I have reviewed. I want to remind you dear reader, that I just reviewed thePass Labs XA 30.8amp and it was the best amp I have heard at any price including some that cost five time...
Smiling at me just in front of my listening couch are the Pass Labs Xs Preamp, the Pass Labs Xs 300 Monoblock Amplifiers, the Playback Designs MPS-5 CD/SACD/DAC, the Magico Q7 Speakers and an all Synergistic Research wire system. Many would argue that these components are in the top fi...
There is, however, a broader purpose to this review than simply praising the Xs preamp and Xs 300 amps. I’ve been reviewing Pass Labs components for years, and Nelson Pass’ amplifier designs since the peak of high-end audio’s popularity during the early Fillmore Administration. I use a ...
Headphone Amp HPA-1 Announcing the new Headphone Amp from Pass Labs! Like the XP preamplifiers, the HPA-1 is the result of great attention to detail. Starting at the power cord, the AC line is first filtered for high frequency noise and then isolated by a special toroidal transformer sh...
and sweet as I have ever heard. I was able to hear the $6k Pass Labs preamp along with the $18k Nagra and the differences were quite stark, but just that…differences. Not better or worse really, just different. I will speak some some on this comparison later down in this review. ...
Pass Labs- XP-30 3-Chassis Reference Preamp Label: Equipment Product No.: M XP-30 Availability: Special Order Category: Pre Amps $16,500.00 orAdd to Wishlist Description Specifications Where other makers are concentrating on eye-candy, the XP-30 offers better sound. The XP-30 is the best ...
A must audition, if you have the money or simply want to hear a great example of the state of the art. The XP-15 offers most of the same advantages at a much lower but still significant price. Do, however, remember the teenager that I began this review with. Great as this level of...
The Pass Labs XP-22 preamplifier ($9,500 USD) and the XP-27 phono preamplifier ($11,500 USD) currently occupy the middle spots in the company’s line-up, just under the flagship XS models. Both are designed to be ultra-quiet, with the external power supplies using double-shi...
000 Xs Preamp that it replaced. Yet, the half-sized headphone amp/linestage was steadfast in inducing the big panels to churn out globs of atmospheric ambience cues amidst demonstration-class spectral extensions. The HPA-1 may not be the most accurate linestage particularly in the presence of...