#Steve meade designs xs power troubleshoot free
Every Pass preamp and power amplifier I’ve heard has been remarkably neutral, worked easily with a wide range of front-end components and loudspeakers, was free of any solid-state coloration, and was transparent and neutral in sound quality. The answers to these questions aren’t simple, and they are discouraging to audiophiles on much tougher budgets. It allowed me to focus on the level of improvement you actually get from designs with a total cost of $123,000, when my reference XP-30 preamp and XA-160.5 mono amplifiers cost $38,500, and other truly excellent Pass components like the XP-10 preamp and XP-150.5 stereo amp cost a total of $10,750, and the superb INT-150 integrated amplifier a mere $7150. Reviewing the Xs preamp and the Xs 300 mono amps gave me the opportunity to put the merits of two true new assaults on state of the art in perspective. I use a Pass XP-30 preamp and a pair of Pass XA-160.5 Class A mono amplifiers in my reference system. 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.
There is, however, a broader purpose to this review than simply praising the Xs preamp and Xs 300 amps. The kind of gear most audiophiles dream about-which only the truly lucky can afford-and that redefine the perceptions of reviewers during the all-too-brief time they pass through their systems.Ī Case Study in Searching for the Limits to the High End At the risk of eliminating any suspense from this review, they are the two best-sounding examples of a preamp and power amp I have yet heard. The Pass Xs Preamp sells for $38,000, and the Pass Xs 300 mono power amplifiers sell for $85,000 a pair.Īs might be expected from Pass Labs’ history, both components meet their goal. They are new top-of-the-line components that push the state of art in audio to its limits, and they are priced accordingly. Both products I’m reviewing-the Pass Xs preamp and Pass Xs 300 power amplifier-are efforts to provide that absolute sound without compromise in either quality or price. This is a case where I need to begin a review by reminding the reader that the name of this magazine is The Absolute Sound, not the Cost-Effective Sound.