Pass XP22 Preamp Review

Mike

Mike

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https://www.stereophile.com/content/pass-laboratories-xp-22-line-preamplifier

“In concert with the rest of my system, Pass Laboratories' XP-22 sounded great: full-bodied, rich-toned, robust, resolving, spacious, essentially neutral. But it was the whole experience of using the XP-22—its rugged, understated look; the subtle texture of its faceplate; the feel of the volume knob's action—that won me over. It just clicked for me, in a way that's entirely reasonable and yet transcends reason.”


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Mike said:
https://www.stereophile.com/content/pass-laboratories-xp-22-line-preamplifier

“In concert with the rest of my system, Pass Laboratories' XP-22 sounded great: full-bodied, rich-toned, robust, resolving, spacious, essentially neutral. But it was the whole experience of using the XP-22—its rugged, understated look; the subtle texture of its faceplate; the feel of the volume knob's action—that won me over. It just clicked for me, in a way that's entirely reasonable and yet transcends reason.”


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Click to expand...

I owned the Pass XP-25 preamp and it successfully bridged the gap between solid state and tubes, it was very natural sounding. The only negative was three chassis. The XP-22 seems to do the same but takes up less rack space.

Ken
 
I found out two years ago that the XP-22 was excellent. They learned from the XP-20 that the interconnect cable between the power supply and the preamp is critical, and they used an aircraft grade cable/connectors on the XP-22.

Anyway, I have been very pleased with my XP-22. I even had to recently send it back for repair, and I swear it sounded even better when I got it back.
 
Alpinist said:
I owned the Pass XP-25 preamp and it successfully bridged the gap between solid state and tubes, it was very natural sounding. The only negative was three chassis. The XP-22 seems to do the same but takes up less rack space.

Ken
Click to expand...

Ken. the XP-25 is the phono stage. I owned it and it did not bridge the gap between SS and tubes.
 
The review in Stereophile was very good, but it was also a bit strange. He keep saying how he loved it, but then stated how another pre did something better. It does sound like a great preamp though!

One point he made that I 100% agree with is how much of a musical improvement a good preamp makes in a system!
 
Randy Myers said:
The review in Stereophile was very good, but it was also a bit strange. He keep saying how he loved it, but then stated how another pre did something better. It does sound like a great preamp though!
Click to expand...

Why would that be strange? Do you expect a given component to always be better than another one in ALL respects? What I do find strange is the reason:

"But when I listened to the Pass Labs and PS Audio preamps in direct, volume-matched comparisons, I was surprised how close they were in sound. The Pass seemed a tad more open, and perhaps more extended at the extremes. The soundstage was a touch more precise. Yet, through the PS Audio, music sounded more visceral, more embodied, to a small but meaningful degree. That quality is important to me—a big success for the much cheaper PS Audio preamp."

As an experienced audiophile he should know that when the treble output is higher (Pass: "more extended at the extremes"), the body and viscerality of sound may appear somewhat less (and he says, it is better on the PS Audio "to a small degree"). When I dampen the treble in my room by, for example, putting a more absorbing carpet between listening seat and speakers, then mid-bass on rock, which affects viscerality, may seem more pronounced. But of course, the carpet does not alter mid-bass output at all (it only works for absorbing treble), but the ear/brain interface interprets the sum of frequency output, and in this case assigns relatively more mid-bass prominence when treble is attenuated.

Similarly, when treble is less, lower midrange body may also appear relatively more pronounced.

One point he made that I 100% agree with is how much of a musical improvement a good preamp makes in a system!
Click to expand...

Absolutely, I just recently experienced this with my new Octave HP 700 preamp. Stunning.
 
Al M. said:
Absolutely, I just recently experienced this with my new Octave HP 700 preamp. Stunning.
Click to expand...

I got the exact same experience when I recently got the Stage 2... wow did it solidify the system!

I just felt that the whole review was a bit off, or wishy washy... it seemed to me that he really liked the preamp but was very hesitant to say it was better then the others. I guess with the bold statement on the cover of the issue I expected more from the review. The cover basically states that the preamplifier is "the state of the preamplifier art", but the review did not even come close to making a similar statement.
 
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