Xs

These are Pass Laboratories ultimate expression of Power Amplifiers the perfect blend of science and visceral emotion.

The successor to our already lavishly praised and well regarded Supersymmetry patent. Every technical effort has been made to assure exceptional specifications, among these:

• Separate chassis for lower electromagnetic noise
• Power supplies with greatly enhanced storage capacitance
• Banks of redundantly parallel high speed / soft recovery rectifiers
• Improved high frequency noise filters
• Larger / quieter transformers
• Improved passive decoupling
• Lower power standby
• Input impedances of 200 k-ohm balanced with negligible capacitance

These amplifiers will drive any load, while being driven from any source. If there’s a more emotionally satisfying amplifier anywhere, we’re not aware of it.
 

Xs Preamp

With the Xs we start with a clean slate because the Xs line is of course new.

It is a large two chassis preamp built in a true dual mono arrangement. The circuit board materials are optimized for performance in each area, a power supply circuit board has different requirements than a gain stage and we use different types optimized for their specific uses.

Each channel has its own power supply board with 100,000 uf of capacitors combining several kinds for optimum performance from high reliability electrolytics to custom polypropylene. The use of newly available silicon carbide semiconductors kicks performance up a bit by dropping noise below the level of the XP30.

The gain stages from input to output connectors and all parts between them have been chosen for maximum sonic performance. We use a DC coupled ultra symmetric gain path with high bias class A circuitry. The power supply has lower noise with a refined circuit design and layout. New gain stages with auto bias and DC compensation keep performance at prime.

But it all comes down to the sound. When you go through the door that is the Xs preamp there is no going back.