Pass Labs X-1 two chassis preamplifier
nooshinjohn
Posts: 25,416
It arrived today in a very large double box, very well packaged and HEAVY. I waited until my wife got home to open it, as she was excited to see it as well...
Opening the box, I was immediately impressed by the exceptional build quality and attention to detail that was put into the twin cases. from a strictly appearance perspective, this pre does a very nice job matching up with my Carver Statements. The X1 is clean, elegant and exceptionally well designed.
Setup took some time, as I wanted to take my time and use care to make certain I did everything right and left nothing to chance. After waiting for so long to finally step up and into something of this caliber, the last thing I wanted to experience was magic smoke. All things considered, the setup was easy and straight forward. There is no power on/off switch on this pre, so after checking my connections a couple more times, I plugged it in.
Power up occurred in an instant and after checking things again, I powered up the twins, my Pioneer D9 mkII SACD and the Yamaha PX-3. As soon as the amps were ready, I hit the play button on the Pioneer, went back to the sweet spot and listened. The first tune up was Johnny Cash's "I walk the Line", which. in hindsight was perhaps not the best way to begin my initial impressions.
Everything was ruler flat and uninvolving. I quickly switched to vinyl, choosing The Eagles "Hotel California"... This too, left me wondering just what I had gotten myself into. I listened to the entire LP wanting to hear something that was better than the Dodd, but it just was not happening for me. After about an hour and a half of listening, I was beginning to feel as if I had spend some foolish money. My wife came in and announced we needed to go and get a few things and run a couple errands. I set up a cd on repeat, turned the volume down low, and left. This was the best decision EVER.
As we shopped, I tried to hide my initial disappointment, as she was asking me if this was worth it. Three hours later, we got home and I loaded up another cd, and as Dire Straits began playing, a wide smile swept across my face, and I knew instantly that audio nirvana found it's way into my home in a very big way.
This pre does everything that I hoped it would and so much more. Cymbals shimmer and decay with such detail. I can hear a drummer place his HAND on a cymbal to reduce the shimmer, or the sweep across the drum kit from left to right. I cannot being to put into words just how much this preamp had done to bring balance to my rig. I have always loved m amps and what they bring to the table, but for the first time, they are properly controlled rather than being the untamed beasts they have been from day one.
Music now dances from the 1.2TL's in a joyous way, free and effortless, controlled yet mischievous(I guess that's the word)... I can hear the energetic fun and passion a performer is having, and the energy is being transferred into the room in a way that makes it believable and infectious to listen to.
After just one day in my system, I can say that it has found a permanent home. Thanks to DK for his reviews of his Pass Labs experience, as they were one of the big reasons I went for this. My upgrade bug has been fed, and I see no need to change a thing, except my turntable perhaps... I am officially done guys.
Opening the box, I was immediately impressed by the exceptional build quality and attention to detail that was put into the twin cases. from a strictly appearance perspective, this pre does a very nice job matching up with my Carver Statements. The X1 is clean, elegant and exceptionally well designed.
Setup took some time, as I wanted to take my time and use care to make certain I did everything right and left nothing to chance. After waiting for so long to finally step up and into something of this caliber, the last thing I wanted to experience was magic smoke. All things considered, the setup was easy and straight forward. There is no power on/off switch on this pre, so after checking my connections a couple more times, I plugged it in.
Power up occurred in an instant and after checking things again, I powered up the twins, my Pioneer D9 mkII SACD and the Yamaha PX-3. As soon as the amps were ready, I hit the play button on the Pioneer, went back to the sweet spot and listened. The first tune up was Johnny Cash's "I walk the Line", which. in hindsight was perhaps not the best way to begin my initial impressions.
Everything was ruler flat and uninvolving. I quickly switched to vinyl, choosing The Eagles "Hotel California"... This too, left me wondering just what I had gotten myself into. I listened to the entire LP wanting to hear something that was better than the Dodd, but it just was not happening for me. After about an hour and a half of listening, I was beginning to feel as if I had spend some foolish money. My wife came in and announced we needed to go and get a few things and run a couple errands. I set up a cd on repeat, turned the volume down low, and left. This was the best decision EVER.
As we shopped, I tried to hide my initial disappointment, as she was asking me if this was worth it. Three hours later, we got home and I loaded up another cd, and as Dire Straits began playing, a wide smile swept across my face, and I knew instantly that audio nirvana found it's way into my home in a very big way.
This pre does everything that I hoped it would and so much more. Cymbals shimmer and decay with such detail. I can hear a drummer place his HAND on a cymbal to reduce the shimmer, or the sweep across the drum kit from left to right. I cannot being to put into words just how much this preamp had done to bring balance to my rig. I have always loved m amps and what they bring to the table, but for the first time, they are properly controlled rather than being the untamed beasts they have been from day one.
Music now dances from the 1.2TL's in a joyous way, free and effortless, controlled yet mischievous(I guess that's the word)... I can hear the energetic fun and passion a performer is having, and the energy is being transferred into the room in a way that makes it believable and infectious to listen to.
After just one day in my system, I can say that it has found a permanent home. Thanks to DK for his reviews of his Pass Labs experience, as they were one of the big reasons I went for this. My upgrade bug has been fed, and I see no need to change a thing, except my turntable perhaps... I am officially done guys.
The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
Comments
-
I'm glad you're happy, knew you would be....LOLI see no need to change a thing
Famous last words. I see an Esoteric CD/SACD or the like in your future.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Pass does take some time to warm up, but when it does it is a better beast. What power cord are you using?Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes
Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables
Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
Three 20 amp circuits. -
John, glad your in happy camper land, but how about a comparison to the Dodd, though I realize two different price categories.HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
Congrats NJ! Sounds like a great combination, but done with upgrades? For all time? As my wife says, "not bloody likely!""Science is suppose to explain observations not dismiss them as impossible" - Norm on AA; 2.3TL's w/sonicaps/mills/jantzen inductors, Gimpod's boards, Lg Solen SDA inductors, RD-0198's, MW's dynamatted, Armaflex speaker gaskets, H-nuts, brass spikes, Cardas CCGR BP's, upgraded IC Cable, Black Hole Damping Sheet strips, interior of cabinets sealed with Loctite Power Grab, AI-1 interface with 1000VA A-L transformer
-
Glad you like it John. And glad you bought it from a buddy! (And that you eliminated the temptation for me!)"Some people find it easier to be conceited rather than correct."
"Unwad those panties and have a good time man. We're all here to help each other, no matter how it might appear." DSkip -
"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
-
"The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." --Thomas Jefferson
-
Geesh....those boneheads are back ?HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
John, glad your in happy camper land, but how about a comparison to the Dodd, though I realize two different price categories.
I can't fairly compare the two. The Dodd is a very good preamp, an excellent pre, in fact. But it lacked the control the Pass is capable of. It could not reign in the power my tube amps are capable of. It comes down to synergy I guess. The Pass is making listening to music FUN again.
The soundstage is quite a bit more forward in many respects, as a singer now appears to stand in front of the accompanying musicians. If the singer happens to be playing a guitar, I can hear that guitar with the singer instead of it being placed somewhere else in the sound-field.
Everything has tightened up, faster, more transparent, and micro-details seems to rise up rather than fade into the background. My rig is now capable of incredibly powerful performance, while making no sacrifice on the subtleties that lay within a note. Guitars especially pop, dripping with subtle details like the lift of a finger or the stretch of a string as it is shifted beneath said finger.
The addition of the Pass has taken what was a great sounding rig, and immediately transformed it to a level I did not know was possible. I believe that if I wanted to get better than this, I would need to part with several orders of moneytude more than I have, and start looking at an entirely different class of gear... the kind of stuff most buy with their ego instead of their ears.
The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson -
You waited until your wife was home to open it?
Everybody else here has to wait until the wife isn't home!"The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." --Thomas Jefferson -
sucks2beme wrote: »You waited until your wife was home to open it?
Everybody else here has to wait until the wife isn't home!
Lol... and I actually forgot to include the obligatory "even my wife could hear a huge improvement" statement.
(she actually DID say it sounds much better)
The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson -
sucks2beme wrote: »You waited until your wife was home to open it?
Everybody else here has to wait until the wife isn't home!
Thats only because he sold stuff to buy it so it was a purchase from NON-household funds, and as such not subject to the obligatory gag order associated with back-door purchases made under the cover of night.
"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
EndersShadow wrote: »sucks2beme wrote: »You waited until your wife was home to open it?
Everybody else here has to wait until the wife isn't home!
Thats only because he sold stuff to buy it so it was a purchase from NON-household funds, and as such not subject to the obligatory gag order associated with back-door purchases made under the cover of night.
.....which is how the rest of us low life's do it.
HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
EndersShadow wrote: »sucks2beme wrote: »You waited until your wife was home to open it?
Everybody else here has to wait until the wife isn't home!
Thats only because he sold stuff to buy it so it was a purchase from NON-household funds, and as such not subject to the obligatory gag order associated with back-door purchases made under the cover of night.
.....which is how the rest of us low life's do it.
I plead the 5th.... or in the case of @BlueFox the 1/5th of jack.............. or maybe both...
"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
nooshinjohn wrote: »
Three hours later, we got home and I loaded up another cd, and as Dire Straits began playing, a wide smile swept across my face, and I knew instantly that audio nirvana found it's way into my home in a very big way.
What was the cd title? Want to play on my gear to see I far I still need to go. -
John when you gonna drop some Daft Punk Vinyl on?
That would be my sonic bliss!"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
Another day of listening, and words like "WOW" give way to exclamations of "HOLY SHIP!!!"
This thing is truly amazing. I close my eyes and George Jones magically appears. I can hear him breath into the microphone, watch his head turn as he moves into or away from it. I can see things within the music that I knew had to b there but never found. It is truly as if the Pass gives life to the passion found within the grooves or the 1's and 0's...
I have learned something else in this process. The truly GREAT gear, be it a preamp, or a turntable, give something to the user that most will never understand. It goes beyond dollars and cents. It is about bringing joy into the listening experience, connecting the listener to music as the artist intended. It is overly dramatic to say that the Pass has changed my life, but it has forever altered the way I listen to music.
This pre would have been well worth the coin at it's original 6k retail. What a blessing it was to find it for the price I did. If one of the keys to a longer life is by the reduction of stress, maybe the X1 might just add a couple years...The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson -
Hey John, Glad you're enjoying your new pre, it's certainly satisfying to obtain a "Monumental" piece that brings your whole rig up to new heights.
George Jones, Merle Haggard, you can almost smell the bourbon on their breath. -
nooshinjohn wrote: »...one of the keys to a longer life is by the reduction of stress, maybe the X1 might just add a couple years...
That and putting down the bag of Doritos. I've been looking at these used and it seems you can snag one for around 2g's or under, which puts it well within reach of many pre hunters. Sounds like one of those pieces destined to become a classic. Glad your happy John, now go change your adult diapers. lolHT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
So last night I am listening to Conway and Loretta, and the wife walks in and says "I hate this music, but it SOUNDS really, really good"...
All I can do is smile when she says we might be able to have romantic listening nights...
The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD
“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson -
Pass makes great gear
"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul! -
^ Wow, a heiney sighting. That's almost like waiting on Haley's comet. Good to see you still alive and kicking.
2-ch System: Parasound P/LD 2000 pre, Parasound HCA-1000 amp, Parasound T/DQ Tuner, Phase Technology PC-100 Tower speakers, Technics SL-1600 Turntable, Denon 2910 SACD/CD player, Peachtree DAC iT and X1asynchorus USB converter, HSU VTF-3 subwoofer. -
Thanks, I took a little break away from the forum for awhile. Things seem to be looking a bit better around here.
H9"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul! -
^ Wow, a heiney sighting. That's almost like waiting on Haley's comet. Good to see you still alive and kicking.
Amen to that.....was about to put him in the "Bigfoot" category.
HT SYSTEM-
Sony 850c 4k
Pioneer elite vhx 21
Sony 4k BRP
SVS SB-2000
Polk Sig. 20's
Polk FX500 surrounds
Cables-
Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable
Kitchen
Sonos zp90
Grant Fidelity tube dac
B&k 1420
lsi 9's -
Thanks, I took a little break away from the forum for awhile. Things seem to be looking a bit better around here.
H9
In your absence, I think tonyb has been trying to surpass your post count. -
This was a great read. Thank you
