Here is an interview describing the latest Pass Labs products.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw5Bxk9rTaY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qw5Bxk9rTaY
Interview with Pass Labs about upcoming XS PRE and XS PHONO
- Thread starter PeterA
- Start date
It sounded like to me that the XS pre was just built to appease the XS amp owners with no real upgrade.
The sad reality is that to be taken seriously as a high-end company these days you cannot have some el cheapo $16,500 product as the top of your product line. This buys you a half decent audio rack and pair of speaker cables, but c'mon a preamp?!
Having looked at the XP-25 board up close and personal last night (and will post pictures), I can see some changes over the it, namely: surface mount loading resistors (to get a fraction more accuracy); using the much more expensive (also 100-uV rated) relays that Stereophile mentioned ($2400 bulk, each); more loading and gain options; lower overall noise (that would be the only realistic feat, and probably very expensive) to match the alleged silence of FM Acoustics and Boulder 2008 - though I cannot attest to how quiet either are. The size of the external power supply of the XP-25 is already overkill. I think he mentioned three inputs on the Xs phono??? That would be overkill too and over-complicate things unnecessarily.
The interviewer seems to be pushing for information and a scoop on the next big thing from Pass while Wayne and Desmond don't seem to want to disclose much. I wonder about the SIT chip in these products.
This is what I thought about the large XA.5 amps. And yet, and yet, customers (in Asia most likely) asked for bigger and better and thus the XS was born. This line catapults Pass Labs into the next, or upper, price level along with Solution, FM Acoustics, Zanden, etc and there is definitely room in that market.
I think it is very interesting that the XS and First Watt products come from the same company.
I have found my comfort level at XA.5 and XP. I hope to upgrade my XONO and XP-20 to the XP-25/30 in the next couple of years. There is a lot of value at this price point, IMO.
A friend in Vienna and Christian (Rockitman) have both compared the XA100.5 to the XS150 and both have told me the latter is MUCH better. The XS is for very rare air breathers. I'm glad they exist to create the demand, however limited, to push the designs along to the next level.
This is what I thought about the large XA.5 amps. And yet, and yet, customers (in Asia most likely) asked for bigger and better and thus the XS was born. This line catapults Pass Labs into the next, or upper, price level along with Solution, FM Acoustics, Zanden, etc and there is definitely room in that market.
I think it is very interesting that the XS and First Watt products come from the same company.
I have found my comfort level at XA.5 and XP. I hope to upgrade my XONO and XP-20 to the XP-25/30 in the next couple of years. There is a lot of value at this price point, IMO.
A friend in Vienna and Christian (Rockitman) have both compared the XA100.5 to the XS150 and both have told me the latter is MUCH better. The XS is for very rare air breathers. I'm glad they exist to create the demand, however limited, to push the designs along to the next level.
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My thoughts ? Those guys should not be salesman when it comes to the XS Pre. At more than double the cost of the XP-30, I am somewhat underwhelmed from their description of the XS Pre over the XP-30. The XS phono is another matter as it Appears there may be some SIT custom semiconductors going inside. I may just sit out the XS Pre and put that money towards the Doshi tape Pre and see what happens with the XS phono next year.
I think it is just Wayne (hand in hand with Nelson) being very humble guys. From what I have read on DiyAudio from Wayne's postings, their actual preamp circuits are not that far evolved from the original Aleph P. But are continuous refinements through out the years. As well as replacing input and output devices as they come and go in and out of production, which will require tweaking the circuit to run them in their sweet spot.
Wayne said something about Toshiba parts in the video when he was talking about the XS pre. If they are these new super low noise JFETs they should be exceptional. I was hoping they would be SIT after someone in the other XS thread said they were.
Wayne said something about Toshiba parts in the video when he was talking about the XS pre. If they are these new super low noise JFETs they should be exceptional. I was hoping they would be SIT after someone in the other XS thread said they were.
I would have to disagree on this. If Pass continue to only use one actual phono stage with a selector for the inputs, having 6 inputs would not complicate things.
Personally I would like 4 inputs as I have to use my xp-25 with a phono selector to use with my 4 turntables. Separate ground terminals would be appreciated.
The best option would be to have separate phono stages per input with gain/loading/cap. This should offer better sound by removing the selector switch and save the user having to change the loading/gain each time you change tables to play music.
Pass need to make the phono less susceptible to noise interference ( is large transformers on other preamps) as many users, myself included have had issues in controlling this noise - it took me quite a while and was well worth the effort.
Very interested in the xs phono.
The Pass equipment is superb, their personal service is fantastic and I own one of their products, but the people who are interviewed are not putting the company's best foot forward.
They really need to rehearse their people who are interviewed by the press and videographers by doing in house "mock interviews" so they can respond better and with less hesitation in live situations.
They really need to rehearse their people who are interviewed by the press and videographers by doing in house "mock interviews" so they can respond better and with less hesitation in live situations.
The new phono stage if it in fact utilizes SIT/VFET will be very interesting, I would want to hear that.
That was an "extreme nerd" interview. I think that the interviewer could have used some of my expertise pulling teeth.
That was an "extreme nerd" interview. I think that the interviewer could have used some of my expertise pulling teeth.
Do you really think Pass will introduce a $38,000 preamp that won't be a marked improvement over the XP30? That they're only bringing it to the market to have a $38,000 match to the XS amp? If you've listened to the XS300 in comparison to the XA amps then you know the answer to both questions. The Pass people I talked to sounded the same way when discussing the XS amps before they were made available to the public. Not a lot of hyperbole from Pass when it comes to their product.
Frank,
You are going to be the first ears on that baby having the ability to compare directly with the xp-30. I will be most interested. If the difference in improvement is as significant as the improvement going from XA amps to XS amps, I will want one.
Christian, could you repeat your description of how the XS is better than the XA.5? Is it just lower noise, less distortion and greater transparency, or is it something else? Sorry to ask you to repeat yourself, but I have forgotten how you compared the two. I do recall that you greatly prefer the XS, as does a friend who also owns the XA100.5 and the XS150. Thanks.
Peter,
Not to start another passive vs active like debate. The XS series can be described this way...any superlative you can come up with for the XA series, the XS series does it better and by a significant margin. The amps are quieter, have better bass grip, are more defined and extended throughout the frequency range. They are more transparent, sound stage better and just sound more musical. At this level, XA to XS, The improvements are more incremental. Whether that increment is worth more than 3 times the price of the XA 160 for example is for you to decide. It was more than worth it to me, especially since I am fortunate to have the resources to buy bleeding edge components. At this stage with my system, it does not make sense to investigate any products that are not the reference product for the given manufacturer.
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Thanks Christian. You will get no debate from me on this topic. I appreciate the description and understand you wanting the very best. I don't know of other XS amp owners sharing impressions on forums besides you and Frank. So thanks for that. I presume that if you trade up to the XS level for the pre or phone, Mark at Reno will have your old units in for the trade. I look forward to buying traded in XP25/30 units from you or others who are fortunate to be able to afford the new top of the line. Sadly, I can't be at the bleeding edge.
I agree with Franks comment above. The folks at Pass are pretty understated. And they sure make good product.
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