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[Audire]

Hello everyone!

I've just acquired an XP20 preamp today and looking for someone to help me out with an issues I'm experiencing, you can imagine my frustration ((

When adjusting the volume I hear a popping sound, which becomes evident between 50-83 steps

This noise is not present during playback, but again only while adjusting volume

I've sent an email to Pass Labs support, also posting here hoping someone can provide some guidance

Below clip shows the issue

Pass Labs XP20 preamp volume popping

youtube.com

I'm using Mark Levinson 436 amps.

Thank you

As you suspected that’s not normal. I would call Pass directly. They are very responsive. At times, Nelson himself answers …

 

[Don Reid]

I use an X150 and two First Watt F3s to triamplify my fully horn loaded DIY speakers. The amps are excellent for this system. The First Watt F3s replaced Cary Audio 2a3 SET monoblocks. I am very pleased with SQ improvement this brought.

 

[oldmustang]

I use an X150 and two First Watt F3s to triamplify my fully horn loaded DIY speakers. The amps are excellent for this system. The First Watt F3s replaced Cary Audio 2a3 SET monoblocks. I am very pleased with SQ improvement this brought.

I'll bet that sounds great, Don.

Some years ago under the heading of wrecked excess or maybe, "staring at the sun" I used an X350.5 on the bass bins and an X250.8 on the mids and tweeter horns of my DIY Edgarhorns. To say it was dynamic was an understatement; that I didn't blow up one of the HF compression voice coils or (more likely) one of the delicate Dueland resistors in my crossover was due to the 106dB/w/m efficiency of the E'horns -- they got waaaay too loud to listen to before current in the crossover and voice coils got too high.

If I can dig out a couple of pictures I'll post them.

Steve Z

 

[Audioseduction]

My system includes the Pass XP-30 Pre and a pair of XA-160.5s. Love the sound they make!

 

[CurtisL]

I currently have an XP12 and X260.8’s playing through my Magico A3’s. Amazing sound in my small listening room. Possibly demoing an XP32 soon. Interested in what improvement it would make.

 

[Audire]

I currently have an XP12 and X260.8’s playing through my Magico A3’s. Amazing sound in my small listening room. Possibly demoing an XP32 soon. Interested in what improvement it would make.

Magicos and Pass are definitely a great combo. Congrats!

 

[Jpspock]

Pass xa160.5 - Preamp Bespoke Audio - Wilson Audio Sasha Daw

 

[Legolas]

XA60.8
Waking up this thread a bit. I have 'jumped ship' from various tube amplifiers to return to the world of solid state amplification. My goal now is to build an affordable system around the Passlabs XA60.8 monoblocks, Chord DAVE DAC and Zingali horn speakers. I also run the LCD4 and Abyss TC headphones for late night listening.

Anyone here own the XA amps? My dealings with Pass so far are all super, I have heard the XA30.5, the XA200.8, but not the XA60.8 yet. It is on order and should land in April.

I have recently moved house and now have a much larger room for the system, with some options to mod the sound treatments and placement, which I think will further the sound quality I get. I'll post photos when I get more progress!

 

[Legolas]

Also thinking of making some amp stands out of engineered plywood. Something I can do with available power tools.

I thought this kind of idea would work, metal tubes and bolts for the feet, and 2 layers of plywood, maybe some cork between. So square bases with rounded corners. A new layout to this idea.

 

[Legolas]

Then will have to suspend my speaker cables, and they are fat cables, to Get them off the floor.

Then mount the preamp, DAC and Music Server on wall mounted TT shelves, filled with lead shot. Did that years ago and it worked ok. So the floor is clear of spaghetti and black boxes.

 

[Legolas]

So shipping in June, no problem, I can wait. League times are long but worth the wait I reckon.

 

[ashandger]

XA60.8
Waking up this thread a bit. I have 'jumped ship' from various tube amplifiers to return to the world of solid state amplification. My goal now is to build an affordable system around the Passlabs XA60.8 monoblocks, Chord DAVE DAC and Zingali horn speakers. I also run the LCD4 and Abyss TC headphones for late night listening.

Anyone here own the XA amps? My dealings with Pass so far are all super, I have heard the XA30.5, the XA200.8, but not the XA60.8 yet. It is on order and should land in April.

I have recently moved house and now have a much larger room for the system, with some options to mod the sound treatments and placement, which I think will further the sound quality I get. I'll post photos when I get more progress!

View attachment 104577

May I ask which EU country are you based in and who is your pass labs dealer? Many thanks

 

[tobiasrankin]

Have the X350.8 paired with yamaha ns5000. Great amplifier. More musical than my old bryston 4bsst monos. Although not as musical as the CJ LP140ms that I tried in my system. I am curious how my pass compares to coda, accuphase, luxman and jadis.

 

[cjf]

Anyone here own the XA amps? My dealings with Pass so far are all super, I have heard the XA30.5, the XA200.8, but not the XA60.8 yet. It is on order and should land in April.

I've owned the XA60.8's for several years which have been powering my Magico S3's. My current listening room is at least 4500cu/ft and very open the rest of the house. Prior to adding a bunch of Subs in this same room the XA60.8's had no issues driving these pig'ish speakers quite loudly without much fuss. The meters on the XA60.8's would only start to move during bass heavy Trance music passages at party volumes. I'm sure they were into their Class B Output zone at this point. Only at these levels did I wish I bought a bigger Amp so I could keep turning it UP : ) .

In any case, I find them to be plenty powerful given their "small" size and Output rating. Also, I can't find fault with there sound either so I believe they will be here until I'm 6ft under.

With a very efficient speaker I image their power would seem pretty limitless. In my case, as an alternative to buying bigger Amps I instead added a bunch of Subs and cut the Main speakers off at 60hz which the XA60.8's were powering. Now the Amps now have taken on that property (ie...seeming limitless in their output abilities) all while sounding faultless to these ears.

Great amps, I'm sure you will love them.

 

[cjf]

I have heard the XA30.5

Forgot to mention, I owned the XA30.5 before buying the XA60.8's. The XA30.5 was also powering my previously mentioned Magico's for a short time. I bought the XA30.5 actually just to try and gauge how "Big" I needed to go Up within the Pass Amp lineup to power my speakers.

I was so impressed with what the XA30.5 could do that I felt confident enough to just go to the XA60.8's for my purposes. I was originally thinking I would need, at minimum, the XA100.8's but luckily that was not the case...for my wallet : )

 

[tobiasrankin]

Forgot to mention, I owned the XA30.5 before buying the XA60.8's. The XA30.5 was also powering my previously mentioned Magico's for a short time. I bought the XA30.5 actually just to try and gauge how "Big" I needed to go Up within the Pass Amp lineup to power my speakers.

I was so impressed with what the XA30.5 could do that I felt confident enough to just go to the XA60.8's for my purposes. I was originally thinking I would need, at minimum, the XA100.8's but luckily that was not the case...for my wallet : )

How did the 60.8 compare to 60.5?

 

[Legolas]

Glad to hear

Forgot to mention, I owned the XA30.5 before buying the XA60.8's. The XA30.5 was also powering my previously mentioned Magico's for a short time. I bought the XA30.5 actually just to try and gauge how "Big" I needed to go Up within the Pass Amp lineup to power my speakers.

I was so impressed with what the XA30.5 could do that I felt confident enough to just go to the XA60.8's for my purposes. I was originally thinking I would need, at minimum, the XA100.8's but luckily that was not the case...for my wallet : )

Glad to hear you are happy with the XA60.8s. I have to wait for 2 months yet, then I can get to hear them in action. I am going to run them of a Lampizator Reference tube preamplifier. This idea of tube pre / SS power amp combo was what I was doing from 1998-2005 till I went into tube power amps. Many guys before then had CJ preamps into Krell power amps. Now I am back so keen to see how it works out with up to date electronics.

Yes the XA30.8, oddly I am also thinking of getting one as well as the XA60.8s, but to power 'oops' my Abyss TC planar headphones. I can run them both of the tube preamp, and simply switch on which amp I want for speakers or headphones. Crazy idea, let's see. I expect nobody has done this yet, though I know guys using other brand speaker amps on the Survara and Abyss.

 

[Legolas]

On the 60.8 v 60.5, reading owners posts and reviews of the amps, I believe the 60.8 is more transparent and quicker, but still has the super PL sound signature that buyers fall in love with. I have options on cables and software to tweak my signature, once the gear is all up and running. Plus tube roll the preamp of course, prob do that last. I find both in 2 channel and high end headphones, the presence region and the upper treble region is crucial to get right, to make a system sound both realistic and relaxed, detail but not artificial or fatiguing. Tiny adjustments make all the difference. Cables can be your friend in any system tweaks IMO.

 

[cjf]

How did the 60.8 compare to 60.5?

I never owned the XA60.5's so can't say how they compare. In case your message above was a typo and you meant to ask "how did the XA60.8 compare to the XA30.5?" I can give some idea but it has been quite a few years at this point.

I recall the XA30.5 sounding quite "warm" compared to the XA60.8's. With the XA30.5, the bass region didn't seem to have the level of control I was hoping for but from the Midrange on Up they were pretty much without fault (keeping their available output power in context of course).

The few things I had hoped the XA60.8's would do better than the XA30.5 were:

1. Better bass control
2. Less "Warm" sounding
3. A lot more headroom/output before seeing the Meters start to dance

Luckily things worked out and the XA60.8 checked all those boxes. It strikes a nice balance between the two model lines from what I recall but if you twisted my arm I would say the XA60.8's seem to lean more towards accuracy rather than warmth which is my preference.

 

[cjf]

Glad to hear

Glad to hear you are happy with the XA60.8s. I have to wait for 2 months yet, then I can get to hear them in action. I am going to run them of a Lampizator Reference tube preamplifier. This idea of tube pre / SS power amp combo was what I was doing from 1998-2005 till I went into tube power amps. Many guys before then had CJ preamps into Krell power amps. Now I am back so keen to see how it works out with up to date electronics.

Yes the XA30.8, oddly I am also thinking of getting one as well as the XA60.8s, but to power 'oops' my Abyss TC planar headphones. I can run them both of the tube preamp, and simply switch on which amp I want for speakers or headphones. Crazy idea, let's see. I expect nobody has done this yet, though I know guys using other brand speaker amps on the Survara and Abyss.

If your sound preference is more leaning towards Tube warmth then I think the addition of a Tube Pre-Amp with the XA60.8's would make for a very nice combo. You would likely end up with the best of both worlds between the XA30.5 and the XA60.8's where you get more power, better bass control and still have a tube like experience at the same time.