New XP-12 and XP-17

[meldano]

New XP-12 Line Pre and XP-17 Phono Pre.

Pass Labs XP-12 Preamplifier

I see a Power Switch 😱

Any other facts? Wayne and Papa, do you build your new XP-12 with the Muses Volume oder other Part? No UGS6?

 

[Dennis Hui]

Interesting...I guess revision to the XP20 will follow.
100 steps of 1db sounds like the muse.
The power switch surprised me. Also the power consumption has quite a bit over
the XP10. Perhaps shunt regulator? (Jam spoke of preamp prototype with shunt here:

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/pass-labs/300060-pass-hpa-1-what-do-we-know-2.html#post4908166 )

Very interesting, along with the XP17.

Oh....congratulations to Pass Labs on the launch of these new products.

 

[rif]

That's also a very classy launch. No snake oil, no hyperbole, no touting how expensive or unobtanium the parts are, etc... Almost humbling or deferential. Very refreshing to see a manufacturer do, especially given the high cost of the products.

Now only if I could afford them.

 

[Zen Mod]

if shunts , then I could only say - finally

so , next step is to see more iron in signal path in PL products

 

[meldano]

Muses Volume:

In my opinion one of the best solution.

I compare it with the DS Volume

The DS is the bottleneck in the XP10/20.

Both Boards include galvanically isolated digital and analog power supply...

 

[wayne]

The power switch is on the power entry module all changed due to legal and safety concerns for world markets. The press releases kind of answer many questions XS trickle own.

 

[kasey197]

Congrats on this - just looking at the specs tells me that something's have changed quite significantly from the previous generation. Separately the price/performance for the XP-12 looks pretty amazing to me... well done again :0

 

[Michael Rothacher]

Really gorgeous gear. I admire Pass Labs' willingness to keep the wine in the cask. It must require a lot of patience and restraint to fight back the impulse to move on to the next thing too quickly. Of course, I'm sure there's a nice top secret skunkworks to whet those appetites. 🙂

Bravo, guys.

 

[Nelson Pass]

Really gorgeous gear. I admire Pass Labs' willingness to keep the wine in the cask. It must require a lot of patience and restraint to fight back the impulse to move on to the next thing too quickly. Of course, I'm sure there's a nice top secret skunkworks to whet those appetites.

For me, the skunk works would be DIY and First Watt.

 

[Michael Rothacher]

For me, the skunk works would be DIY and First Watt.

My kind of skunk works. 🙂

That, and laser sharks.

 

[meldano]

https://www.alpha-audio.nl/2017/05/pass-labs-xp12-en-xp17-high-end-munchen-2017/

 

[kamis]

It seems that Pass Lab accepted John Curl and Erno Borbely design approach. A long way from single ended input XOno to Vendetta like phono stage with complementary Toshibas.
Now, out of production XP-15 is an ideal candidate for cloning.

 

[Nelson Pass]

I don't recall any mention of a complementary phono input stage.

 

[wayne]

The new XP17 does have a complimentary input with four Toshiba fets.

 

[Nelson Pass]

Then my recollection is correct.

 

[kasey197]

the noise level of these new preamps is pretty impressive - any radical design approach behind this ?

 

[wayne]

New transformer with mu metal and electrostatic shield then vacuum impregnated. Other than that just good layout and a few power supply improvements no magic physics.

 

[meldano]

The same discrete voltage regulator used in XP20/25 ?

 

[wayne]

Pretty much the same discrete regulators on the 12 with an extra stage on the reference. The 17 is three terminals floated and cap multipliers. It all adds up though with much better sound it is the sum of all these little things tweaked over time.

 

[meldano]

Thanks 😉