Pass XP22

New arrival at Highender Audio and now included in our fixed demo stock: the Pass Labs XP-22 preamplifier.

 

The XP-22 is a fully analog high-end line preamplifier and occupies a particularly interesting position within the Pass Labs program. It stands above the XP-12 and brings an important part of the technology from the significantly more expensive Pass Lab preamps to a relatively compact two-chassis design.

 

Characteristic of the XP-22 is the completely separate power supply. The preamplifier and power supply are located in two separate enclosures, keeping transformers and power circuits physically away from the highly sensitive audio signal.

 

In the external power supply, Pass Labs uses two specially developed, very quiet core transformers with both electrostatic and Mu-metal shielding. The power supply is dual-mono built up and extensively filtered to minimise electrical and mechanical noise.

 

The volume control is also directly derived from the much more expensive Xs preamplifier. The XP-22 uses a single-stage volume control with no less than 100 steps of 1 dB , making it possible to adjust the volume very accurately while at the same time requiring as few components in the signal road as possible.

 

The amplifier circuit uses carefully selected Toshiba transistors and a relatively high biased output stage with automatic bias control. Thanks to the extremely low output impedance, the XP-22 can easily control long interconnects and power amplifiers with a relatively low input impedance.

 

The XP-22 offers both balanced XLR and single-ended RCA connections. A total of five line inputs are available, making it easy to connect more comprehensive systems.

 

As we are used to from Pass Labs, the emphasis is not on an impressive list of digital functions, but on the quality of the analogue signal road. No DAC, streamer or phono-stage on board, but a pure line preamplifier that tries to perform one task as well as possible.

 

Soundly, the XP-22 stands for precisely those qualities that Pass Labs have so loved: peace, space, natural timbres and a smooth, organic presentation, combined with excellent dynamics and control. The very low noise floor ensures that fine details and spatial information remain easily audible without the display being analytically or forced.

 

The combination of a high-quality dual-mono power supply, the Xs series-derived volume control and the powerful output stage makes the XP-22 a particularly attractive partner for both Pass Labs power amplifiers and other high-quality end stages.

 

The Pass Labs XP-22 can now be heard at Highender Audio and is now part of our permanent demo stock. Of course you are welcome to come and experience him in our listening room.

Technical specifications

Specification	Pass Labs XP-22
Type	Analogue line preamplifier
construction	2 chassis, preamp + external power supply
Power supply	Dual mono with 2 shielded core transformers
Gain	9.3 dB balanced
Inputs	5
Input Configuration	2 × XLR, 3 × RCA
Outputs	XLR and RCA
Input impedance	22 kΩ
Output impedance	25 Ω RCA / 50 Ω XLR
Frequency range	10 Hz – 20 kHz ±0,05 dB
bandwidth	-2 dB at approx. 150 kHz
THD	<0,001% @ 1V / 1 kHz
Crosstalk	>100 dB
Maximum output voltage	33 V RMS
Reliable noise	2 µV RMS
Volume control	100 × 1 dB stappen
Remote control	Yes
Power consumption	40 W
Dimensions per chassis	approx. 43 × 32 × 10 cm
Total weight	approx. 18 kg