Pass X 0.2 compared to X.1?

[output555]

Hi,

I currently own the Pass X1 and find it excellent in many ways. So much so I'm considering moving up to the X0.2. However, some say the significant cost difference isn't equal to the gain in sonic improvements (the law of diminishing returns is a constant in the high-end audiophile world). Has anyone actually heard both units and care to comment on what they experienced? Is there a substantial improvement with the X0.2 or merely "subtle" as Absolute Sound stated?

Thanks.

[Nelson Pass]

It's a matter of opinion. The 0.2 is better, but it does cost twice
as much, and it does not sound twice as good.

[GRollins]

It has always been this way in audio. There is a clear tendency towards diminishing returns. It would be nice if the price/performance ratio were more linear, but life doesn't work that way. You can buy a boom box and have music that is recognizable and you can sing along with it. Spend a thousand and get a cheap receiver, CD player, and speakers and you'll get noticeably better sound quality...but is it ten or twenty times better? Hard to say. Spend ten thousand on a system and you're going to have a hard time saying that the sound is ten times better. Win the lottery and drop one hundred thousand on a system. It is ten times better than the ten thousand dollar system? No.
So what do you do?
Back when I was in retail, I put it this way: I'd tell them I was a magician. I'd wave my hands in the air and tell them that I had just advanced the calendar one year. I pointed out that any scrimping they might have experienced in order to pay the bill was likely over. At this point it all boiled down to one question--
Are you glad you spent the money...yes or no?
Before you answer, reflect on the number of hours you've spent listening over the last year. The times you've "air conducted" or played air guitar. The times you've smiled (or even cried, depending on the music). It's not about a tangible thing like how many golf balls you could buy with that money--it's about emotion. It's hard to put a price tag on pleasure.
The choice is yours.

Grey

[Barry1]

This won't help answer the value question but Tony Cordesman did a comparison of both in TAS volume 128. You can download the issue from their web site.

Even he didn't see that much of a difference considering the $$$.

I was faced with the same choice I sprung for the X0.2 only because I had the $$, bought a refurbished unit and got a respectable price, and ALWAYS regret not upgrading later.

[output555]

Thanks all for your responses, especially Mr. Pass for your candor.

Barry, yes, I read the TAS article, that's what prompted my question. Did you have the opportunity to compare the two preamps before you went with the X0.2? If not, what other preamps have you owned or auditioned and how did the X0.2 compare?

[JPeitzman]

GRollins:

...reflect on the number of hours you've spent listening over the last year. The times you've "air conducted" or played air guitar. The times you've smiled (or even cried, depending on the music). It's not about a tangible thing like how many golf balls you could buy with that money--it's about emotion. It's hard to put a price tag on pleasure...

Wow... that is absolutely true, I love it, that is 100% what this hobby is all about!

[DarqueKnight]

I think the improvements you realize will greatly depend on your associated gear and what you value in music reproduction.

I owned an X1 for a little over a year before I upgraded to the X0.2. In my system, I realized the following improvements by switching to the X0.2:

1. A little more detail throughout, particularly in the bass. On some songs I noticed little details that I hadn't heard before. If I had to quantify things, I would say the treble and midrange is 10% better (more detailed) and the bass is 25% better with more impact in addition to more detail.

2. I had more of a sense of bass sounds vibrating through my listening chair and body with the X0.2.

3. Piano notes were more percussive with more overtones and natural decay.

4. Stringed instruments had more overtones and weight.

5. While there was not a 2X price/performance correlation for the X0.2's improvements in detail and clarity over the X1, I did realize a spectacular improvement in soundstage 3-dimensionality and weight. I also gained a little more soundstage width and depth. If I had different speakers and listening preferences, and particularly speakers smaller in size, I probably would not have been as impressed with the X0.2's spatial rendering qualities. I believe that I got my 2X money's worth in the X0.2's soundstaging and imaging properties alone. So I'm very happy.

With that said, I was still somewhat reluctant to trade in my X1, even though I had no immediate use for it. I let it sit on my dining room table for a few days while I tried to rationalize keeping it. I then shipped it back to the dealer. My self-imposed rule against hoarding gear sometimes extracts a heavy emotional toll.

For reference, my audio system consists of the following:

Pass Labs X0.2 Line Stage Preamp
Pass Labs Xono Phono Preamp
Parasound Halo JC 1 Monoblock Power Amplifiers
Teres Audio Model 255 Turntable
Graham 2.2 Deluxe Tonearm
Ortofon Jubilee MC Phono Cartridge
Cary Audio CD 206 SACD Player
Polk Audio SDA SRS 1.2TL Speakers (Modified)
Audioquest LeoPard 72 V DBS Silver Tonearm Cable
Audioquest Volcano 72 V DBS Copper Speaker Cable
PS Audio xStream Reference Transcendent Silver XLR Interconnects

[Stefanoo]

Bummer....you have a great audio system!!