Pass Labs - Technology that Gives Back
XA 30.8 Class A Amplifier
What Took Us So Long?
Pass Labs captured our attention ever since we co-exhibited with them at the 2009 Rocky Mountain Audiofest.
You might ask what took us so long to bring them onboard and you would be right.
If you've been in this audio game for a while, you know the history of Nelson Pass, from Threshold Amplification, to First Watt, to the company that bears his name.
Giving Back
Nelson Pass is one of the most generous designers in our business - freely helping hobbyists with his Pass DIY website, maintaining the First Watt product line, as well as supporting the Burning Amp Festival.
Quality
When we select products to represent, two non-negotiable criteria are quality and service. The audio industry is rife with companies who treat quality as an after thought and service as a profit center. We won't name names.
Quality is not an afterthought. Quality is designed into a product.
Informed by 50 years' experience, Pass Labs takes pride in the attention they pay to quality - beginning with the design stage and following on through manufacturing and quality assurance.
Pass Labs products are designed and manufactured in California. They are built to order with a lead-time of 13 weeks.
Well Conceived, Stable Designs
Another thing that impresses us with Pass Labs is the long life cycle of their designs. When you design something correctly, there's no need for continual model revisions. This isn't to say that they're not constanly striving for "more", but rather that their designs are so well conceived, that significant changes are rare.
We take pride in releasing mature, stable products with our Galibier turntables, and we hold the manufacturers we represent to the same standard.
Demo at Galibier
Our demo system is nearly complete:
- XP-17 phono stage (ready for audition)
- XP-12 line stage (coming in August, 2026)
- XA 25 amplifier (ready for audition)
Galibier Design features high efficiency speakers, and the choice between an XA 25, the XA 30.8 and the First Watt F7 amplifiers was a difficult one. There's no wrong answer.
With 95dB speakers, all three of these conservatively rated amplifiers have power in reserve and are a perfect compliment to our 300B NiWatt amplifiers - at a fraction of the price.
While we're a "high efficiency shop", we're happy to work with you on amplifiers that are compatible in your system, and of course, no such matching issues apply for phono and line stages.
Prices below are effective June, 2025:
subject to change without notice due to fluctuating market conditions and at manufacturer's discretion.
XP-17 Phono: from $4,950
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Housed in a single, elegant chassis, the XP-17 features flexible rear panel loading and gain settings.
Loading options are from 10 to 1000 ohms in 17 discrete steps, as well as 47K.
Note that the XP-17 has a single input. If you run a dual tonearm setup, then you may want to consider the XP-27 phono stage.
Add $500 for black, epoxy coated finish.
- Gain options: 56 / 66 / 76 dB
- Inputs: 1 (single-ended)
- Outputs: 1 balanced, 1 single-ended
- RIAA response: ±0.1 dB (20 Hz–20 kHz)
- Power consumption: 40 W
- Chassis: 1
- Dimensions (w x d x h): 17 " × 12 " × 4 "
- Weight: 19 lbs
Rear Panel (click to enlarge)
XP-27 Phono: from $13,282.50
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A reference-class phono stage in two chassis with dual inputs and front panel gain and loading access.
Resistive loading options: 30, 50, 100, 160, 250, 320, 500, 1k and 47k ohm.
Capacitive loading options: 100 pf, 200 pf, 320 pf, 430 pf, 530 pf and 750 pf.
Add $750 for black, epoxy coated finish
- Gain options: 56 / 66 / 76 dB
- Inputs: 2 (both single-ended)
- Outputs: 1 balanced, 1 single-ended
- RIAA response: ±0.1 dB (20 Hz–20 kHz)
- Power consumption: 50 W
- Chassis: 2
- Dimensions (each chassis - w x d x h): 17" x 12" x 4"
- Weight: 45 lbs
Rear Panel (click to enlarge)
XP-12 Line Stage: from 6,710.00
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Offering the flexibility of single ended and balanced inputs and outputs, a 100-step attenuator, low-noise toroidal transformer with mu-metal shielding, the XP-12 can easily drive long cable runs.
Add $500 for black, epoxy coated finish
- Overall Gain: 9.3 dB (Balanced)
- Inputs: 2 balanced, 3 single-ended
- Outputs: 1 balanced, 1 single-ended
- Remote: includes balance control
- Input impedance: 22 kΩ
- Power Consumption: 30 W
- Dimensions (w x d x h): 17 " × 12 " × 4 "
- Weight: 20 lbs
Rear Panel (click to enlarge)
XP-22 Line Stage: from 10,952.50
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The importance of a great line stage is underestimated by audiophiles. The folks at Pass Labs say it better than we can:
"low noise, high resolution, and the kind of transparency that doesn’t feel clinical. It doesn’t add excitement; it reveals it, letting your sources and amplifiers perform at their best."
Add $750 for black, epoxy coated finish
- Overall gain: 9.3 dB (Balanced)
- Inputs: 2 balanced, 3 single-ended
- Outputs: 2 balanced, 2 single-ended
- Remote: includes balance control
- Tape Monitor (in/out): single-ended
- Input impedance: 22 kΩ
- Output impedance: 25 Ω
- Power consumption: 40 W
- Chassis: 2
- Dimensions (each chassis - w x d x h): 17" x 12" x 4"
- Weight: 40 lbs
Rear Panel (click to enlarge)
XA 25 Class A Amplifier: from $5,665
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True Class A amplification, weighing in at 49 pounds with extensive heat sinking and more than enough power to drive a high efficiency system with headroom to spare.
Application note: some power cables will not fit the XA-25's IEC power inlet. Our Wind River power cables with Furutech NCF IEC connectors are both sonically excellent as well as a good fit for the XA-25. They're every bit the equal of our ETI power connectors.
About Class A Power: if you "need" more power, then we question your choice of speakers.
We recently demo'd the XA-25 in a system with Rockport loudspeakers. The amplifiers never sounded stressed, but a power hungry speaker like the Rockport demands more than 25 watts - especially for appropriate bass reproduction.
If your listening levels run toward "dorm party" volumes, or your speakers have challenging impedances, we recommend working up the power hierarchy.
Pass Labs can fulfull your requirements with power up to 300W, full Class-A.
This review by Jeff Day (a hard core tube aficionado if there ever was one) and this one by Herb Reichert are both good reads.
Add $500 for black, epoxy coated finish
- Class / Type: Class A, Stereo
- Power: 25 W @ 8 Ω (per channel)
- Slew rate: 100 V/uS
- Gain: 20 dB
- Inputs: RCA
- Input Impedance: 47K
- Power consumption (idle): 240 W
- Power consumption (standby): <1 W
- Chassis: 1
- Dimensions (w x d x h):17" x 17.25" x 6"
- Weight: 48.5 lbs
Click to Enlarge
XA 30.8 Class A Amplifier: from $7,865
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Class A amplification, weighing in at 88 pounds with extensive heat sinking. 30 class A watts are BIG WATTS.
Our understanding is that (if one were to split hairs), the XA 30.8 is a bit more authoritative bass presentation than the XA 25. Your speaker selection, room and musical taste should drive the choice between these two amplifiers.
Here's a review from Jack Roberts at Dagogo, along with this one from Gary Beard at Positive Feedback.
Add $500 for black, epoxy coated finish
- Class / Type: Class A, Stereo
- Power: 30 W / 8 Ω (per channel)
- Gain: 26 dB
- Damping factor: 150
- Inputs: 1 balanced, 1 single-ended
- Input impedance: 50 kΩ (SE) / 100 kΩ (BAL)
- Damping Factor: 150
- Power (@ idle): 370 W
- Dimension (w x d x h): 19" x 21.25" x 7.5"
- Weight: 88 lbs
Rear Panel (click to enlarge)
