Pass Lab owners - Check in!

[Legolas]

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.

Thank you for your input cjf.
I use the Chord DAVE DACs, which is very transparent and fast, so think a Lampizator tube preamp will be a nice fit. Chain would thus be: Paul Pang Quad Switch > 432 EVO server > Chord DAVE > Lampizator Reference Preamplifier > Passlab XA60.8 monoblocks > Zingali Client Name Evo horn speakers + JL Audio E110 subs x 2. The subs cross over at 55hz and make a BIG difference on my music taste.

My speakers are modded with DIY crossovers and upgraded compression drivers. They have a 12 inch bass driver, and are 95dB, though they do seem to like a lot of current, not so good on smaller output tube amps.

My Headphones system, I use the LCD4 out the DAVE (sounds incredible) and the Abyss TC off a power amp (sounds even more incredible).
I may look at selling my Moon 600i speaker amp used as headphone amp and get the Passlabs XA25 stereo power amp, drive the Abyss off it's speaker taps. The Abyss off the Moon 600i is amazing, way better than any headphone amp I have tried to date.

So will report back when all is arrived and set up!

 

[Sullygr23te]

XP-12
Aleph Classic 30
First Watt F5 Turbo V2

Gerald

 

[Chops]

Just picked up a mint XP-20 this morning.

 

[tobiasrankin]

Just picked up a mint XP-20 this morning.

How you liking it ?

 

[Chops]

How you liking it ?

I'm loving it so far. Sounds worlds better than the little Quad Artera pre that it replaced, and that was a great sounding preamp as well.

I am curious though, and this is for anyone to answer...

When you turn the volume down to "20", there's a relay that clicks. Then when you go back above "20", you hear that relay click again. I'm just wondering what the XP-20 is doing when it hits "20" on the volume. I can't seem to find any into via Google searches.

Is it switching from active gain mode to passive gain mode?

 

[slowGEEZR]

Charles, all I know is that the XP-20 volume control is described as being a two stage volume control. I've had my XP-20 for about a dozen years now and have had zero problems. Same goes for the XA100.5 monoblocs.

 

[hesavary]

Int 250 here, working together with Sascha DAW, nice team work between the two.
It is a recent upgrade, was before with Yvette's and E800 from Accuphase. I didn't like the association between the two. Believe that accuphase is more comfortable with better efficiency speakers.

 

[Bör B]

XP-20 and 260.8s here. Working on new cabling now, going to try furutech and see how they pair up.

 

[PGA]

You can buy more expensive, but not better than Benchmark and Bryston speaker cables and interconnects for your Pass.

 

[alfa100]

Transparent Audio

 

[Legolas]

Loving my Passlabs XA60.8s with Pure Audio Project Quintet15s Coax. Chord DAVE Dac, preamp to be decided.

 

[Chops]

Loving my Passlabs XA60.8s with Pure Audio Project Quintet15s Coax. Chord DAVE Dac, preamp to be decided.

No reason not to get a matching Pass preamp. I absolutely love my XP-20.

 

[Legolas]

No reason not to get a matching Pass preamp. I absolutely love my XP-20.

True, but will try a good tube preamp first, get some tube goodness in there.

 

[Chops]

True, but will try a good tube preamp first, get some tube goodness in there.

Audio Research, VAC, Balanced Audio would be my choices.

 

[gleeds]

The VAC and BAT are fine choices, but add Trafomatic Audio's Lara, a superb two-chassis all-tube balanced preamplifier, to your shortlist. It's a match made in heaven for use with SS amplifiers. It rivals the top designs noted above at a more attractive price point. I believe Absolute Sounds in the UK can help. Best of luck!

 

[Chops]

The VAC and BAT are fine choices, but add Trafomatic Audio's Lara, a superb two-chassis all-tube balanced preamplifier, to your shortlist. It's a match made in heaven for use with SS amplifiers. It rivals the top designs noted above at a more attractive price point. I believe Absolute Sounds in the UK can help. Best of luck!

Never heard of them, but very nice indeed. I especially like the dual chassis design... For obvious reasons. That's how my XP-20 is.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Regarding the Trafomatic Lara I personally am enjoying it very much, matched with a solid-state amplifier and matched with a tube amplifier.

 

[ashandger]

Regarding the Trafomatic Lara I personally am enjoying it very much, matched with a solid-state amplifier and matched with a tube amplifier.

Is it possible for you to share some more details about your impressions and how it compares to other preamps you had e.g. VTL? Many thanks

 

[Ron Resnick]

Is it possible for you to share some more details about your impressions and how it compares to other preamps you had e.g. VTL? Many thanks

Sure! Please be aware that very few sonic "attributes" matter to me. I don't care about the usual "black background" or bass slam or extension at the frequency extremes or low noise floor or clearly delineated sonic images or detail.

1) It's not much of an exaggeration to say that I am a single issue voter: more "breath of life" is good; less "breath of life" is bad.

2) Overall tonal balance: I don't like a flat (neutral?) tonal balance. I like a "ground up" or "low center of gravity" tonal balance. I like the music to swell up from the low frequencies. This is what I hear at Walt Disney Concert Hall. An example of this is Reference Recordings' Symphony Fantastique on vinyl.

This is the opposite of what I hear from a vdH Master Signature cartridge or a Lyra Atlas cartridge. Somehow I hear those cartridges as having a "top down" frequency balance. In cartridge sound terms this means I like a Grado Epoch 3 or a Benz Ruby 2 (or my new Opus 1, but the Opus 1 seems so far not quite as "ground up" as the Epoch 3).

So far I hear the Lara as having a bit more breath of life on vocals than the VTL. So far I hear the Lara as having a more "ground up" or "low center of gravity" tonal balance than the VTL.

 

[ashandger]

Sure! Please be aware that very few sonic "attributes" matter to me. I don't care about the usual "black background" or bass slam or extension at the frequency extremes or low noise floor or clearly delineated sonic images or detail.

1) It's not much of an exaggeration to say that I am a single issue voter: more "breath of life" is good; less "breath of life" is bad.

2) Overall tonal balance: I don't like a flat (neutral?) tonal balance. I like a "ground up" or "low center of gravity" tonal balance. I like the music to swell up from the low frequencies. This is what I hear at Walt Disney Concert Hall. An example of this is Reference Recordings' Symphony Fantastique on vinyl.

This is the opposite of what I hear from a vdH Master Signature cartridge or a Lyra Atlas cartridge. Somehow I hear those cartridges as having a "top down" frequency balance. In cartridge sound terms this means I like a Grado Epoch 3 or a Benz Ruby 2 (or my new Opus 1, but the Opus 1 seems so far not quite as "ground up" as the Epoch 3).

So far I hear the Lara as having a bit more breath of life on vocals than the VTL. So far I hear the Lara as having a more "ground up" or "low center of gravity" tonal balance than the VTL.

Dear Ron, many thanks for taking the time to provide such wonderfully detailed and very helpful feedback. Much appreciated. Enjoy your trials with Lara. Happy listening.