Pass Labs X150.5 Has Arrived

[blackraven]

Congrats Jack! Good choice on a CJ or ARC preamp as I am not completely sold on the X1. Before I bought it I was considering a CJ Premier 17LS tube preamp and the ARC LS25 MKII. They can be had for around $2000-2500 used.

How do you like the dynamics of the Pass? I find it truly amazing, especially on Classical music. Its ability and control to go from quiet, soft passages to loud and robust and back to quiet again is truly amazing. It is effortless and the low passages sound great.

I look forward to more of your thoughts on the amp.

[Jack in Wilmington]

Congrats Jack! Good choice on a CJ or ARC preamp as I am not completely sold on the X1. Before I bought it I was considering a CJ Premier 17LS tube preamp and the ARC LS25 MKII. They can be had for around $2000-2500 used.

How do you like the dynamics of the Pass? I find it truly amazing, especially on Classical music. Its ability and control to go from quiet, soft passages to loud and robust and back to quiet again is truly amazing. It is effortless and the low passages sound great.

I look forward to more of your thoughts on the amp.

Being a class D guy, I wasn't prepared for the dynamics. It snapped my head around the first time. I have my eye on the CJ 17LS also.

[Mr Peabody]

Something JM has now come to realize, and I continue to encourage you, when considering the preamp you should look for true balanced circuitry as the Pass is truly balanced. Note in your manual it should discuss the Pass patented circuit in the amp. The CJ would take the system more to a romantic sound. I don't recall Jack talking much about what you like in sound. Have you ever had tube gear?

Jack, I mentioned that on one of these Pass threads as well, piano is stunning.

Frenchmon may have a link but a good performing power cord is Triode, they sell direct. I heard one Frenchie has on the same day we compared several, the Triode had the same type of sound or effect as the Clarus Crimson just not as good. The Triode was much better than the Pangea or my entry Transparent. Resolving amps like Pass will show the benefit of a good power cord, as well as interconnects.

[Jack in Wilmington]

Something JM has now come to realize, and I continue to encourage you, when considering the preamp you should look for true balanced circuitry as the Pass is truly balanced. Note in your manual it should discuss the Pass patented circuit in the amp. The CJ would take the system more to a romantic sound. I don't recall Jack talking much about what you like in sound. Have you ever had tube gear?

Jack, I mentioned that on one of these Pass threads as well, piano is stunning.

Frenchmon may have a link but a good performing power cord is Triode, they sell direct. I heard one Frenchie has on the same day we compared several, the Triode had the same type of sound or effect as the Clarus Crimson just not as good. The Triode was much better than the Pangea or my entry Transparent. Resolving amps like Pass will show the benefit of a good power cord, as well as interconnects.

I did have a tube integrated before I bought my Anthem. It was the Jolida 502b and while it gave a nice warm smooth sound, in the end I felt that the 60wpc was not giving me the most from my Dyn's.

I'll need a power cord that doesn't have such a large plug on the end. I can borrow an Audioquest or a Transparent from my local Hifi shop to try out. Of course they may throw me out when I tell them I bought a Pass amp and not the Bryston that I had been looking at.

[Feanor]

Being a class D guy, I wasn't prepared for the dynamics. It snapped my head around the first time. I have my eye on the CJ 17LS also.

I was also a class D guy recently too. I had Class D Audio SDS-258 which is generally a very good amp and rather amazing for $600. The thing I liked least about it was its bright top highs which could be quite shrill depending on the recording. The last quality was what drove me to consider a change. However I considered the Class D Audio to be dynamic with precise base, and transparent & airy.

Before considering the Pass I listened to comment comments by Mr P, blackraven, harley, et al., and was impressed by comments about the Pass' transparency. So I wasn't surprised by improvement in this area. But the improvement versus the pretty good CDA SDS in dynamics, "PRaT", and bass was genuine surprise.

Not only piano but all percussion instruments really come alive with the Pass X150.5 -- it seemed phenomenal to me. Bass too was improved; since I listen mainly to classical music what struck me was the the Pass was able to replicate the weight & and impact of orchestral bass, i.e. string base, bassoon, bass drum, tympani, etc. (I don't mean to imply that this bass is in the least bloated or exaggeratedly warm.)

Where I'm a little disappointed with the Pass is that I expected a little more smoothness on the top end. So while the Pass is somewhat smoother and less bright than the CDA SDS, it is by no means warm or rolled off. The practical meaning of this is that overly top-end bright recordings -- of which there are many -- still sound that way.

As for the single-ended vs. balanced issue, I have only driven the Pass with a fully balanced preamp, an ARC LS9. I do know that when I got the ARC, the CDA SDS sounded more dynamic -- but I had been using a passive preamp previously, not an active single-end.

[Hyfi]

Feanor,

Have you tried the Pass with a Tube Pre yet? That may be able to tame the highs if tubed to you liking. I have always liked the mix of Tube Pre with SS Amps. If I didn't have a Hybrid amp right now, my Stratos would be in the main system with the VAC pre and I know it sounds good that way.

[Feanor]

Feanor,

Have you tried the Pass with a Tube Pre yet? That may be able to tame the highs if tubed to you liking. I have always liked the mix of Tube Pre with SS Amps. If I didn't have a Hybrid amp right now, my Stratos would be in the main system with the VAC pre and I know it sounds good that way.

No, I don't have a tube preamp at the moment. I recently bought the ARC LS9 which is s/s.

For one thing the LS9 was all I could afford in terms of a quality, balanced preamp. Nice balanced tube pre's seem to start at about $1500 which is almost twice what I paid. For another thing I'm probably more tolerant of a slightly bright sound than most people and don't want to compromised transparency & air which are my highest priorities.

I would like to heard a nice balanced preamp, say one of the ARC's or BAT's.

[blackraven]

Jack, I am thinking about giving one of these Cullen Power Cords a try.

Gold Series

It looks like a no nonsense cord at a reasonable price. For me to spend $300-400 on a cord and another few hundred on XLR's is ridiculous as the money wold have been better spent on buying a better amp or preamp. My budget for RCA's and XLR's was about $400 once I bought the Pass gear.

[Jack in Wilmington]

Jack, I am thinking about giving one of these Cullen Power Cords a try.

Gold Series

It looks like a no nonsense cord at a reasonable price. For me to spend $300-400 on a cord and another few hundred on XLR's is ridiculous as the money wold have been better spent on buying a better amp or preamp. My budget for RCA's and XLR's was about $400 one I bought the Pass gear.

That looks like a serious power cord. I'll check and see if I can find any reviews on it.