X1 pre gain adjustment question

[jlipinsky]

I'm a new X1 pre-amp owner. I'm getting a bit more hiss than is comfortable at my listening position, and the folks at Pass suggested I send the pre in to have the gain reduced. I'm wondering if I could easily reduce the gain myself, thereby eliminating cross-country shipping hassles? I know the Xono allows one to adjust gain with the addition of jumpers; does anyone know if gain adjustment on the x1 similarly simple?

Thanks,
Jason

[kilowattski]

I think if you monkey around inside a brand new piece of equipment you will void your warranty. Find out who your closest authorized Pass Labs repair center is and ask Pass Labs if they will foot the bill to have your gain changed at your local repair center.

[jam]

Jason,

Congrats! You own one of the finest preamps available.

Do you still have too much gain after you reduce it using the menu setting for lower gain?

Regards,
Jam

[jlipinsky]

Thanks for the replies.

Jam: The X1 gain is definitely set on the low (+4db) setting. The hiss is louder on high gain, but is independent of the volume control setting.

Kilowattski: Point well taken as to the warranty. However, inserting a jumper in the Xono is hardly monkeying around; it's a plug and play operation. If gain reduction is this simple in the X1, I could save a great deal of time by doing it myself.

I think my amp (not a Pass) has about 30db of gain, but I believe most Pass amps have about 30db of gain. Maybe the two in conjunction with the Marantz Sa-14 source sums to too much system gain. Or, something is defective. I'll speak with my dealer tomorrow before I do anything. Despite the audible hiss I really like the sound of this device.

Cheers,
Jason

[jlipinsky]

I've experimented a little more. The hiss is also independent of the input selected, regardless of whether or not a source is connected.

[kilowattski]

jlipinsky,

Please excuse me but I forgot to say congratulations on the new preamplifier. You can boast that you have one of the finest preamps in the world. Best of luck with it.

[jlipinsky]

My dealer reduced the gain as I watched. The same procedure as the Xono, as I suspected. I'm still getting a faint whiff of hiss, but nothing to get worked up about...had a chance to A-B my X1 with the dealer's, and his has the same faint hiss.

Thanks for the input everyone.