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PREAMPLIFIERS

Xs Series Preamps

Ultra High-End Preamp & Phono

When we began development of the Xs power amplifier five years ago, we knew that we would also need a companion piece.

We were given “carte blanche” on the design and an unlimited budget, the result of this is the Xs Preamp.

True “dual-mono” design
only component shared between channels other than casework, being the AC power connection to house power

Control section
includes its own regulated power supply

Minimal noise

Negligible channel to channel “cross-talk”

Xs Preamp Dual Chassis Preamp – $38,000

Xs Preamp_stack_remote_raw

This large, dual-chassis preamplifier is built in true dual-mono arrangement. Each channel has its own power supply board with over 100,000uf of capacitance for unfettered transient response. 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.

Technical specifications  

 Overall Gain
-89.5 dB to +9.5 dB
Volume Steps 99
Remote- Yes
Inputs 6
Outputs 4
Frequency Response  -3dB @ 2 Hz and 60 kHz
Input Impedance 42k balanced
Output Impedance 120 Ohm bal, 120 Ohm SE
CMRR -65 dB, 1 kHz
Cross-talk -100 dB, 1kHz Ref 1V
Signal to Noise Ratio < -110 dB, Ref 5V
Power Consumption (W) 55
Number of Chassis 2
Dimensions, Each Chassis 19”W x 14”D x 6.25”H
Weight (LBS) 80
Shipping Box Dim 24 x 19 x 23
Shipping Weight (LBS) 90

Awards and Reviews  

Editors’ Choice Award 2017

The Absolute Sound

“For me, the Xs series has drawn a line in the sand and has redefined the ‘state of the art’.”

Positive Feedback  

“Have a sound that is almost beyond description in words.”

Home Theater HiFi  

Circuitus Maximus Award 2017

Positive-Feedback  

Top o’ the line Brutus Awards 2017

Positive-Feedback  

Xs Phono Dual Chassis Phono – $45,000

The Xs Phono preamplifier represents an all-out assault on the state-of-art in Vinyl and the most intensive and difficult design effort made at Pass Laboratories. The final product of this massive effort extracts the utmost performance from a simple topology  and operates with the extremely small and delicate signals coming from today’s wide variety of phono cartridges. The result is music that emerges from a quieter background and blooms into a richer, more precise soundstage.

Technical specifications  

 Gain 56, 66, 76dB
RIAA response plus/minus .1 dB 20-20 KHz
RIAA response plus/minus .1 dB 20-20 KHz
Distortion < .005 % THD @ 1mV MC input
Maximum Output 38 volts rms balanced @ .1% THD
Output Impedance 150 SE / 150 Balanced
Input Impedance 30 ohm – 47K ohm any input
Power consumption (Watts) 55
Number of chassis 2
Dimensions, each chassis 19”W x 14”D x 6.25”H
Weight (Lbs) 80
Ship Box Dim 24 x 19 x 23
Shipping Weight 90

XP Series Preamplifiers

High-End Preamps

The Pass Laboratories XP-10, XP-20 and XP-30 preamplifiers are the natural descendants to the long lived, highly acclaimed and successful X series of Pass Laboratories line-stages.

Dynamic sound
The XP preamplifiers sound more dynamic, bass lines are more clearly, cleanly and accurately delineated

Clear bass lines
cleanly and accurately delineated

Fine nuances and detail
instruments and voice are presented in a greatly refined spatial envelope and with better spectral balance.

XP-32 – $18,375

The XP-32 is a three-piece modular preamplifier consisting of one control/power supply chassis and two additional gain chassis each containing analog signals of a single channel. The XP-32 generates less noise, crosstalk and distortion while delivering greater dynamic range, gain, output voltage and output current. But it is the sound, not the technical excellence, that truly makes this a breakthrough instrument.

XP-27 – $12,075

The twin chassis XP-27 eclipses the already exceptional performance of the well-reviewed and well-received XP-15, XP-25 & XP-17: delivering enhanced RIAA performance at a fraction of the previous distortion.  The new design uses double shielded low noise toroidal transformers in external supply connected via aviation grade circular connectors using silver over oxygen free copper. The power supply is dual mono with two transformers with lower radiated and mechanical noise. Noise is the most prominent part of THD+N at low levels, so by lowering noise we get better resolution and dynamics.The XP-27 input and gain circuitry are similar to that found in the Xs Phono. This means switching and loading is done at higher signal levels, minimizing noise and improving low level performance.

XP-27_fp.jpg

Gain options 56, 66, 76dB
Inputs 2
RIAA response plus/minus .1 dB 20-20 KHz
Power consumption 50 watts
Number of chassis 2
Dimensions, each chassis 17”W x 12”D x 4”H
Weight (Lbs) 45

HPA-1  Headphone Amplifier – $3,675

Class A

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 shielded by mu-metal for lower magnetic noise and shielded for electrostatic noise by a separate Faraday shield, grounded to analog ground. This is followed by fast/soft recovery rectifiers, generous CRC passive filtering and sophisticated discreet DC regulators and then more passive RC filters.

Works with headphones
with impedances of 15 ohms to 600 ohms

Low feedback wide bandwidth discreet design.

Class A
direct coupled Mosfet output stage

Custom low noise Torodial power transformer
with a Farady shield

Discreet regulated power supply for audio circuits.

Technical specifications  

Gain (dB) 8 dB
Power Consumption (W) 23
Output Power into 20 ohms 3500 mW
Output Power into 300 ohms 200 mW
Frequency Response 10hz -100k -1 dB
THD + Noise < 0.005 at 1V out
Input Impedance 50K Ohm
Output Impedance < 2 ohms

Awards and Reviews  

“To put it bluntly, Pass Labs HPA-1 is an exceptional, very addictive headamp/preamp combo every aficionado should at least audition once an opportunity strikes.”

HiFi Knights  

” If I did not know that the HPA-1 was transistor-based, I would’ve been fooled: the HPA-1 had the natural warmth and slight fullness that mimic tubes.” ” In my view, headphone listening is about intimacy, and the HPA-1 is nearly perfect in this regard.”

HometheaterReview.com  

“As far as headphones go, the HPA-1 is a brilliant amp which deserves every bit of praise I’ve thus far heaped on it.”

Part-Time Audiophile  

Headphone Amplifier of the Year – 2016

The Absolute Sound

Best Headphone Amplifier – Best of Awards – 2016

HomeTheaterHiFi

“One Of The Best HPAs In The Audiophile World!”

Everything Audio Network  

“The HPA-1 had an effortless quality that made recorded music sound more like the real thing.”

CNET  

“Pass Labs, one of the most prestigious names in audio, has launched a terrific headphone amplifier”

Home Theater HiFi  

“in bass clarity and authority and in midrange transparency, the Pass Labs HPA-1 is without peer”

Stereophile  

“The Pass HPA-1 is on the top tier of the world’s finest headphone amplifiers”

Tone Audio  

“This thing sounds so damn good twenty minutes out of the box”

Tone Audio  

“An amplifier that drives headphones to exceptional performance”

alpha-audio.nl  

“The best I’ve heard from a headphone amp anywhere near the HPA-1’s price.”

Enjoy The Music  

“the Pass Labs HPA-1 is a bona fide muscle amp in the guise of an equal-opportunity preamp with headfi function.”

6Moons  

“Dynamics and authority are two of the best qualities in all listening sessions with the HPA-1, regardless of the headphone. With a great current delivery it also drives any planarmagnetic headphone, with an absolute control.”

www.oldnewsound.es  

AMPLIFIERS

Xs Series

Class A

These are Pass Laboratories ultimate expression of Power Amplifiers the perfect blend of science and visceral emotion.

If there’s a more emotionally satisfying amplifier anywhere, we’re not aware of it.

The successor to our already lavishly praised and well regarded Supersymmetry patent. Every technical effort has been made to assure exceptional specifications, among these:

Separate chassis
for lower electromagnetic noise

Power supplies
with greatly enhanced storage capacitance

Banks of redundantly parallel high speed
and soft recovery rectifiers

Noise filters
with improved high frequency

Larger and quieter transformers

Improved passive decoupling

Lower power standby

Input impedances
of 200 k-ohm balanced with negligible capacitance

EXPERIENCE PERSONALIZED CUSTOMER SERVICE! 

Mike Phalan

Gestalt HiFi

24 Sunlit Dr West

Santa Fe NM 87508

By Appointment

gestalthifi@gmail.com      

808.640.8947

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