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Pass Labs XP-10 & XP20 Users

I recently got a XP-10 preamp. It provides tremendous clarity, a deep and wide soundstage, nice seperation of instruments, lower bass, better defined bass, and a touch of warmth (which is a plus in my system).

It has been in the system for a couple days now, and I am thrilled with the results. This thing is so resolving (without being harsh), that my friends and I could hear differences in the sound depending on how we spiked and isolated the XP-10. A sand bag on top also changed the sound. I will pick a final setup once it finishes breaking in this weekend.

I am using this in a 5.1/2.0 system. The Bypass function is setup on input 5 which is an unbalanced input. My Prepro has both Balanced and Unbalanced outputs. In theory the balanced outputs coming out of the prepro should sound better, so I have it routed through Input 1 and manually set the volume to max and Gain to 0.

Does anyone have any tips or tricks about these preamps? They seem pretty straight forward. It seems the only setup/optimization may be related to spikes, isolation, and weight placed on top of the unit.
dmccombs
dpac996's avatar
dpac996
433 posts
 
Dmccombs,
I am glad that you are also enjoying the main point of upgrades, to appreciate the music more (at least this is what I tell my wife). My comment was less about you and more about a general trend we audionuts find ourselves in. Sorry for hijacking your thread a bit with this, i should a put it somewhere else. I was not saying it's impossible to do both; that is, enjoy music and listen for changes from tweak to tweak. Rather, at some point "it" transforms, in many cases, into listening sessions where it is less about the actual musical enjoyment and more about, "did i hear this difference between cables, thie latest bag of sand, this oak block of wood, this steel tipped 500 pound audio rack", you know wwhat I mean?
You have a sweet piece of gear. I had a Pass X2.5 and X1 a while back. I was floored with the microdetail that both of those units are capable of. Right now i'm back to tubes, but I have been thinking about trying out the XP10 sometime. Pass seems to blend the best of tubes and ss.

Enjoy!
Dave
dmccombs OP
112 posts
 
I looked through the Virtual systems here and noticed that there are at least 6 Audiogoners with an XP-10 or XP-20. Does anyone else have setup suggestions?

Ozzy, can you give more detail as to what the fuse change did to the sound?
boper39
13 posts
 
I have been using my XP-10 for about 8 months. Previous I had an X-1 pass, and compared the two for a short time. The first time I fired up the XP 10 I felt immediately that I should keep it, not even broken in it just sounded right and a step up from the X-1 which is no slouch. After a week with the XP-10 I put the X-1 back in for a comparison and confirmed my inital decision. I'm happy with my Pass 150.5 & Xp-10 although i'm getting the cable bug again, but I didn't win the lottery. LOL
ozzy's avatar
ozzy
3,650 posts
 
Dmccombs, The fuse upgrade is a very minor improvement, but it results in a slightly smoother presentation. I had the fuse left over from my Cary SLP-05 days. They sell for about $25.
I have not found anything that was better than just sitting it on a good rack.
I am using the balance out to my Pass Labs X350.5 and the RCA outs to JL Audio F-113's subs. Great combo, awesome sound.
Use good cables to get the best performance and enjoy.
dmccombs OP
112 posts
 
Thanks for all the feedback and responses. They are appreciated.

At this point, I have put numerous hours on the XP-10 and it is broken in and sounding great.

I have a Hi-Fi fuse that I may try at one point, if/when I do, I will report back on that.

I guess that how one spikes/isolates the XP-10 (or any piece of gear) depends on the rack you have it on. In my setup, I found that putting the XP-10 sounded best (to my ears), by placing it on 4 spikes.

Irregardless of weather I put my unit directly on the rack or on spikes, I find placing a light weight on top of the unit does change the sound a bit. Maybe the top is susceptible to vibration?

I suggest folks with the XP-10 take a few minutes and try placing a couple of different light weight items on the XP-10 to see if it helps/hurts the sound. It is free and only takes a few minutes to try.
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