AXPONA 2025

In room 1521, I caught up with Wayne Colburn—longtime preamp wizard for Pass Labs (and Threshold Audio before that)—and Kent English, the company’s veteran head of sales. Colburn was debuting his new 85lb XS Pre 2 line-stage preamp ($55,000), which he called a step up from the XP-32.

Colburn doesn’t consider the XS Pre 2’s design “excessive,” despite its name. He noted that the preamp uses separate boxes for the left channel, right channel, and power-supply/display, and described it as “more resolving, with a lower noisefloor. It sets a new standard for us.”

The power supply is a dual-mono design; its three double-shielded transformers power the two channels plus the preamp’s digital elements. The output stage, which has more class-A bias and lower output impedance than previous models, can drive long cable runs and, in the company’s words, “any power amplifier.” The volume control offers a 100dB range with 0.5dB steps. Circuit boards are ceramic-based and gold-plated. Toshiba FETs grace the input stage, while that company’s MOSFETs enhance the output stage.

The preamp consumes 110W and provides 10.5dB balanced gain. Output impedance is 30 ohms RCA/60 ohms XLR, and input impedance is 20k ohms RCA/40k ohms XLR. Frequency response is ±0.05dB from 10Hz–20kHz and 0.7dB at 100kHz.

“I solved some technical issues with a better approach to the circuit that offers the advantage of the consistent repeatability that our techs like to see,” Colburn said. “It reproduces the source faithfully, depicts space faithfully, and doesn’t exaggerate any element of the sound. It’s the finest thing I’ve ever done.”

Colburn credits Mike Jones for feedback on assembly and circuit-board materials, and Desmond Harrington’s stepdaughter, Tiffany Sydney, for the case design. “This is the first time I’m seeing the completed chassis,” he said, looking pleased.

I heard a brief excerpt of Ravel through a system that included the XS Pre 2 and Pass XA60.8 monoblocks. The midrange was smooth and composed—classic Pass, and immediately engaging.