Pass Laboratories XP-30 line preamplifier Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Analog Sources: Linn Sondek LP12 turntable with Lingo power supply, Linn Ekos tonearm, Linn Arkiv B phono cartridge.
Digital Sources: Ayre Acoustics C-5xeMP universal player; Apple 2.7GHz i7 Mac mini laptop running OS10.7.5, iTunes 10, Pure Music 1.86; Shuttle PC with Lynx AES16 soundcard & dual-core AMD Athlon processor running Windows 7, Foobar 2000, Adobe Audition 3.0; dCS Debussy, Mark Levinson No.30.6, Arcam FMJ D33, Logitech Transporter D/A converters; Ayre Acoustics QA-9 USB A/D converter; Halide USB-S/PDIF converter; Mirage MMS-5A media server.
Preamplification: Liberty B2B-1 phono preamplifier; Ayre Acoustics K-5xeMP, Classé CP-800, Nagra Jazz line preamplifiers.
Power Amplifiers: Classé CT-M600, Lamm M1.2 Reference (both monoblocks).
Loudspeakers: BBC LS3/5A, Joseph Audio Perspective, KEF LS50, Vandersteen Treo.
Cables: Digital: DH Labs Silver Sonic. AES/EBU: AudioQuest Coffee, Belkin Gold USB. FireWire: AudioQuest FireWire 400 (prototype). Interconnect: Ayre Acoustics/Cardas (balanced), AudioQuest Cheetah (unbalanced). Speaker: Cardas Clear. AC: XLO Reference 3, manufacturers' own.
Accessories: Audio Power Industries 116 Mk.II & PE-1, APC S-15 AC line conditioners (computers, hard drive); ASC Tube Traps, RPG Abffusor panels; Target TT-5 equipment racks; Ayre Acoustics Myrtle Blocks; Shunyata Research Dark Field cable elevators. AC power comes from two dedicated 20A circuits, each just 6' from breaker box.—John Atkinson

COMPANY INFO
Pass Laboratories Inc.
PO Box 219
Foresthill, CA 95631
(530) 367-3690
ARTICLE CONTENTS

COMMENTS
Bill B's picture

Wow, JA! This could be the model for truly full reviews.Nice job.  

John Atkinson's picture

Bill B wrote:
Wow, JA! This could be the model for truly full reviews.Nice job.

Thanks, Bill B. With a product this musically satisfying, the words come easier than usual.

 John Atkinson

Editor, Stereophile

Bob F's picture

Echoing what Bill B wrote- This is a most excellent review.

Being fairly good friends with Wayne, I found your characterization of him to be spot on. He is as humble and down to earth as it gets and you couldn't meet a nicer person.

I'm delighted to see his human qualities recognized and represented so eloquently. When he told me he got this cover, I asked him how many print copies he was getting and he humbly shrugged it off as only he can.

Now I'll have to see about organizing a personal demo of the XP-30 wink

Robby's picture

Great review of a really well engineered product.

As the happy owner of both an XP-10 as well as an XP-20 I must admit music seems to be more involving and enjoyable since I've got them in my systems. Maybe it's the Pass Labs house sound or maybe it's simply the passion that their designers put in making those products.

Pass Labs products always seem to have soul...

rwand@wh2a.com's picture

With all due respect: Why on earth would anybody put a capacitor in the signal path. What if one has an amplifier with a low impedance input. The 600 ohms graph looks very much like the high pass filter of my speakers. Not in the XP-10, not in the XP-20 and not even in the Xs. What is goin' on in the XP-30...?

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