Pass Labs XP-22

[PeterA]

Has anyone heard this new preamp from Pass Labs? It was recently released and it replaces the two box XP-20 which has been around for about eight or ten years. I think it retails for about $9,500. It should have some trickle down technology from the XS series. I think I read that it has a new volume control, or the one from the XP-30 and lower noise.

[AJR]

Has it been released yet? Would love to hear thoughts as well. One of my amplifier upgrade options is the new XP-22 and the X350.8.

[PeterA]

Has it been released yet? Would love to hear thoughts as well. One of my amplifier upgrade options is the new XP-22 and the X350.8.

It has been released and apparently is selling quite well. I am curious to know if it is an across the board improvement over the XP-20 or if it is simply voiced differently, similar to the .5 and .8 series of amps. Depending on the system in which I heard them, I preferred the XA160.5 to the XA160.8 in my system, but I preferred the .8 to the .5 in a friend's system who had the Magico M Pro speakers.

Mike, do you have any information and have you heard the XP-22 or the XP 12 and 17?

[AJR]

Very exciting.

[BlueFox]

I am gambling that the trickle down tech from the $30K XS pre makes the new XP-22 a noticeable improvement over my XP-20 with the Revelation Audio Cyro Silver umbilical cord. For the XP-22 they are now using aircraft grade 9 pin connectors and copper/silver wire for the umbilical versus the plastic, throw-away DB-25 used on the XP-20. Hopefully, that will match, or exceed, the RA cable performance. It certainly will be easier to attach than was the DB-25 after it is installed in the rack.

Anyway, I placed an order with Mike for one, and have an approximate 5 week delivery date. I will either have a nice Xmas break, or start the year with something new.

[PeterA]

Congratulations, Bud. BTW, I think the XS Pre is $38,000. I just ordered one also trading in my XP-20. I just sent my Transparent cables to the factory for recalibration as the preamp output impedance is much lower on the new XP-22 which should help drive my 6M balanced cables to my Pass XA160.5. According to the specs, the noise is lower, the frequency response is flatter and more extended, the volume control is from the XP30, there is only one input gain stage, there is higher Class A bias, and the transformer is larger and quieter and wrapped in Mu metal. I'm excited. I am hoping it is a significant improvement.

The XP27 phono should be out by the end of the year. I suspect these new units will be like the .8 amps with trickle down tech from the XS line for a much lower price. I've heard great things about your S5II speakers and I've always thought that Pass/Magico is a great combination.

[Kuoppis]

I've heard great things about your S5II speakers and I've always thought that Pass/Magico is a great combination.

Pass just loves Magico and vice versa, great combo.


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[BlueFox]

Thanks Peter. Congratulations also to you.

I have a question about " as the preamp output impedance is much lower on the new XP-22". Does that mean for the same SPL we will have to use a higher volume, lower volume, or no difference?

Now I wonder how the volume will be calibrated on the XP-22. The 0-87 scale on the XP-20 bothered me from an aesthetic perspective.

[GSOphile]

The XP-20's volume control warlike the XP-10's. If the XP-22's is like the XP-12 then (from the Pass web site):
"The XP-12 uses the single stage volume control borrowed from the XS line preamp. This gives us one hundred 1 dB steps with lower noise and distortion while removing some signal path parts."

[Mr Peabody]

While everyone is upgrading, if you need some place to put those old Pass preamps, send them my way,