Pass XP-20 DB-25 Umbilical upgrade: Has anyone any suggestions on how much of a difference and what brand?
- Thread starter jahatl513
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The obvious question for those who had taken this route and beyond is:
- is the XP22 (with factory supplied umbilical) still better than XP20 (with Tubulus DB25 umbilical upgrade)?
- is the XP22 (with factory supplied umbilical) still better than XP20 (with Tubulus DB25 umbilical upgrade)?
I had the XP-20 with an upgraded cable, and it was a big improvement over the throw away interconnect cable that came with the XP-20. I upgraded to the XP-22 and the stock interconnect cable with the XP-22 is a big improvement over the XP-20, and the XP-22 is better than the XP-20 with an upgraded cable. I believe I described this in either this thread or another Pass preamp thread.
I ordered a pair of the Tabulus DB-25s based on this thread for my very heavily modified Pass Labs XVR-1 3way crossover with 2 power supplies and will let you know how it goes. Stay tuned....
Add my name to your list of those that find the Tabulus Argentus DB-25 cables a great upgrade. I bought a pair of the 2 meter cables for my Pass Labs XVR-1 3way active crossover (2 power supplies). The XO has been powered up continuously for 6 weeks, and I have maybe 75 hours of active listening. It may be a little early, but here are my impressions based on break-in period listening and auditory memory of what the unit sounded like before I installed the cables - admittedly a very haphazard approach. Despite extensive modifications made to the Pass Labs XO done some years ago, the new cables showed there was still room for improvement for the XO and my system.
The improvements? There is an increase in image density. Vocals and instruments acquired a more 3-D character and everything is a little more solid and present. Soundstage is more open and alive. On very well-recorded tracks, you can hear into everything in the space of the recording venue and almost feel the atmosphere of it - it is not black. The other change, more audible at the end of some tracks, is that the notes have really beautiful "hang time". They'll very slowly fade away at the end of the song for example. I do feel now that I'm hearing absolutely everything on the recording, including how it was recorded, good or bad. Some of the 60s rock recordings are a lot worse than I remembered. Early on, I heard more bass, but that's not the case now.
I guess there's a small reduction in noise to allow me to hear all this. My system has no obvious weaknesses I'm trying to improve, only ones I may discover after they're gone. At times, during the listening sessions on some of my best sounding CDs and LPs, these cable's sonic changes were very startling. Perhaps there's a little burn-in left, but the system has settled in quite a bit.
Especially considering the price, these cables were a high-value upgrade to my system. I can't image why anyone wouldn't buy these.
The improvements? There is an increase in image density. Vocals and instruments acquired a more 3-D character and everything is a little more solid and present. Soundstage is more open and alive. On very well-recorded tracks, you can hear into everything in the space of the recording venue and almost feel the atmosphere of it - it is not black. The other change, more audible at the end of some tracks, is that the notes have really beautiful "hang time". They'll very slowly fade away at the end of the song for example. I do feel now that I'm hearing absolutely everything on the recording, including how it was recorded, good or bad. Some of the 60s rock recordings are a lot worse than I remembered. Early on, I heard more bass, but that's not the case now.
I guess there's a small reduction in noise to allow me to hear all this. My system has no obvious weaknesses I'm trying to improve, only ones I may discover after they're gone. At times, during the listening sessions on some of my best sounding CDs and LPs, these cable's sonic changes were very startling. Perhaps there's a little burn-in left, but the system has settled in quite a bit.
Especially considering the price, these cables were a high-value upgrade to my system. I can't image why anyone wouldn't buy these.
Barry, it's been a joy to bring the Tubulus to the attention of the wider community, such as yourself.
Alright already! I read this whole thread and sent payment to get mine for my old xp-20. I hear no noise at all now, but am hoping there is an improvement in the I don't know what I'm missing category.
The XP-20 I owned had the lowest noise of any preamp I ever heard by a wide margin - really great listening at low volumes.
I'll be interested in what you learn, Steve!
I'll be interested in what you learn, Steve!
Have any of you guys tried the Tubulus powercords to power the Pass pre and power amps? The DB25 cable works so well, I'm contemplating buying the pre and power, and maybe for the tpt and dac as well.
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