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XP-17 Preamplifier
XP-17 Preamplifier
XP-17 Preamplifier
MPN: XP-17
Neutral, musical sound. New shield for excellent measurements overall. More details
XP-17 Preamplifier
XP-17 Preamplifier
XP-17 Preamplifier
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The Pass Labs XP-17 Preamplifier is a sophisticated audio component designed to elevate your listening experience to new heights. The XP-17 is a reference-level preamplifier that embodies the renowned Pass Labs sound signature, delivering exceptional clarity, detail, and musicality. Featuring a discrete Class A design, the XP-17 offers a wide range of features to enhance your audio setup. With its balanced (XLR) and single-ended (RCA) inputs, precision volume control, and low-noise circuitry, this preamplifier ensures optimal signal integrity and transparency. Meticulously crafted with premium components and housed in a sleek and elegant chassis, the Pass Labs XP-17 is the epitome of audio refinement, offering audiophiles and music enthusiasts a truly immersive listening experience.
Dragon Cable Recommendation: If you are connecting your XP-17 to an XA-series Pass Labs amp, then we recommend pairing the XP-17 preamplifier with our award-winning Silver Dragon Interconnects. The Silver Dragon Interconnect is one of our best-selling cables at Moon Audio. Sold in Pairs, it is our top-of-the-line silver conductor-based interconnect. With a braided geometry and amazing shielding, this interconnect is a remarkable solution where noise isolation is key. The Black Dragon Power Cable is also recommended to provide the cleanest and unbridled power to your high-end amplifier.
The Pass Labs XP-17 Preamplifier is packed with features that define its exceptional performance:
Pass Labs and First Watt were founded by hi-fi legend Nelson Pass. After co-founding and later selling Threshold Audio, Pass began working out of his Auburn, California, home in the early 1990s to develop prototypes of single-ended Class A amplifier designs under the name Pass Labs. Pass Labs quickly became known for its commercially produced Aleph, X, and XA Series amps, and preamps. Pass later started First Watt as a passion project focusing on low-power amps for a niche audiophile audience. Today, Pass splits his time between the two companies, with production happening in Pass Labs' facility in Foresthill, California.
What are the key features of the Pass Labs XP-17 Phono Preamplifier?
The Pass Labs XP-17 is a high-performance phono preamplifier designed for vinyl enthusiasts. It features a fully balanced, dual-mono design for exceptional channel separation and noise rejection. The XP-17 offers a wide range of loading options, including resistance and capacitance settings, allowing users to fine-tune the preamp to match their specific cartridge requirements. It also includes a low-noise, discrete JFET input stage and a passive RIAA equalization network for accurate and detailed sound reproduction.
Does the Pass Labs XP-17 support both moving magnet (MM) and moving coil (MC) cartridges?
Yes, the Pass Labs XP-17 is a versatile phono preamplifier that supports both moving magnet (MM) and moving coil (MC) cartridges. It offers selectable gain settings to accommodate a wide range of cartridge outputs. For MM cartridges, the XP-17 provides 40dB of gain, while for MC cartridges, it offers 60dB of gain. This flexibility allows users to use their preferred cartridge type without needing an additional external step-up transformer.
What kind of power supply does the Pass Labs XP-17 utilize?
The Pass Labs XP-17 features a sophisticated, high-quality power supply design to ensure clean and stable voltage for optimal performance. It employs a custom toroidal power transformer with multiple stages of regulation. This design minimizes noise and interference, resulting in a low-noise floor and excellent dynamic range. The power supply is an integral part of the XP-17's design, contributing to its ability to deliver transparent and detailed sound reproduction.
Can the Pass Labs XP-17 be used with both balanced and single-ended connections?
Yes, the Pass Labs XP-17 offers both balanced (XLR) and single-ended (RCA) output connections, providing flexibility for different system configurations. Users can choose between the XLR and RCA outputs based on their preference and the rest of their audio system. The balanced outputs are especially beneficial for long cable runs, as they offer better noise rejection and signal integrity. This dual output capability ensures compatibility with a wide range of amplifiers and systems.
Who is Nelson Pass?
Nelson Pass, the man behind Pass Labs and First Watt, has been designing and building amplifiers for decades. His early passion, however, was speakers; at age 14, he started assembling loudspeakers. As a college student studying physics at the University of California-Davis, he co-founded a speaker company called PMA. He also worked for ESS, where he designed crossovers and enclosures. After college, with his interest having shifted toward amplifiers, Pass co-founded Threshold Electronics (now Threshold Audio). His achievements during the Threshold years include developing the first dynamically biased Class A amplifier circuit; developing a fully cascode audio power amplifier; and developing the STASIS stereo preamplifier and power amplifier. During the 1980s, Pass designed the Adcom GFA-555 amplifier. Later, after selling Threshold, he started Pass Labs in 1991 and First Watt in 1997. Pass holds several patents related to audio circuits.
How did Pass Labs make its name?
Pass Labs helped popularize solid-state, Class A power amplifiers. Pass Labs' first product, the Aleph 0 amplifier, operated as single-ended Class A up to its 70 watt rating and in push pull Class A at higher wattage. The Aleph series of amplifiers, some of the first solid-state amps that were said to be "tube-like" in sound, operated pure class A and contained internal circuitry using MOSFETs. The Aleph amplifiers had a unique appearance, a cube with heat sinks on all four sides, a solution to the heat generated by the class-A design. This can be attributed primarily to the specific MOSFETs used and the minimum number of gain stages that were implemented in the design. Pass Labs also developed the Super-Symmetry™ ("Su-Sy") circuit, which achieves exceptionally low distortion and noise levels. In 1998, Pass Labs released the X1000, the first amplifier using the patented SuperSymmetric™ topology. The X1000 achieved 1000 watts with high performance, local feedback and only two gain stages: a cascoded differential pair of transistors and a large bank of complementary output followers. This groundbreaking design informed all subsequent Pass Labs amplifiers.
What else does Pass Labs make?
In 2002, Pass Labs unveiled the first XA amplifiers, combining the X and Aleph topologies into balanced single-ended Class A amplifiers with many of the characteristics of both the X and Aleph series. The current Pass Labs lineup includes Class A amps (XA and Xs Series), Class AB amps (.8 Series), line preamps (Xs and XP Series), phono preamps (Xs and XP Series), integrated amps (INT Series), and one headphone amp.
What is the relationship between Pass Labs and First Watt?
When he started Pass Labs, Pass did everything out of his home. In 1997, having outgrown the space, Pass Labs moved into commercial space in Foresthill, California. When Pass started First Watt, it was a "kitchen table" venture, with work once again happening in his home. In 2016, with production demands not leaving him enough time to pursue the vast array of yet-to-be-designed amps, Nelson handed the business end of First Watt over to Pass Labs. Pass Labs took over the building of First Watt amplifiers as well as marketing and distribution. There's a synergy between the two operations, in that Pass Labs gets to gather up some of the more interesting First Watt finds and repurpose them as more commercially viable designs. Today, Pass splits his time between First Watt and Pass Laboratories.
