Pass Point 8 Owner's Manual
PASS
TM
March, 2014
Point 8 Owner’s Manual
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READ ME FIRST
I fully realize that many, if not all, owners will rush to hook up the
amplier without reading this operating manual.
However, this amplier is different in a number of ways, and if you only
read these pages you will probably save us both some time and trouble.
Heat and Ventilation - The X.8 and XA.8 ampliers consume quite a
bit of power during operation and convert most of it into heat. Pick a
location where the amplier can get some fresh air to remove the heat.
Do not enclose the amplier in a closed cabinet. Give it lots of space.
CAUTION!
Before operating this amplier, verify that the voltage label near the AC input
connector on the amplier indicates an operating voltage compatible with the voltage
level of the electrical outlet you intend to use. In all instances the amplier requires a
50hz- 60hz supplied electrical service.
Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding type power plug
supplied with this product. A grounding type plug has two blades and a third
grounding prong. The grounding prong is provided for your safety. If the provided
power cord plug does not t your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the
obsolete outlet.
The mains power cord is intended to be the safety disconnect device for this apparatus
and shall remain accessible and operable at all times.
Unplug this apparatus during lightening storms or when unused for long periods of
time.
On the rear panel is a master switch and additionally a fuse holder on the
smaller amps. The fuse holder accepts type 3AG (6.3mm x 32mm) 250
volt glass fuses of the slow blow variety.
Please consult the Pass Laboratories factory if you have any question on
these fuses or need replacements. The larger amps do not have any user
serviceable fuses. On these larger ampliers the rear panel switch is a
thermal magnetic circuit breaker.
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Input Connection and Input Impedance
The ampliers take either a single-ended (RCA) or balanced (XLR)
input connection. The input impedance is 50 Kohms single-ended and
100 Kohms balanced, and the input capacitance is just a few picofarads
so anything will drive it. If you are using RCA inputs, then you want
to use the gold input jumper to short the (-) input (pin 3) of the XLR
connector to ground (pin 1) as shown:
Output Connection
You can hook this amplier up to any normal loudspeaker without
danger of damage. Note, however that both the (+) Red output
connection and the (-) Black output connection are live There is no
ground reference at the speaker terminals. The black (-) speaker
terminal must never be treated as ground.
This can be important when you are hooking up active sub-woofers to
the output of the amp – if you need a signal ground connection then
use the white ground terminal provided on the rear panel.
The white signal ground connection is not a safety ground. Safety
ground is provided only by the detachable power cord. Never defeat the
safety purpose of the power cord.
NOTE
The Audio outputs of this power amplier are considered class 2 (CL2) circuits
in North America. This means the wire connected between the amplier and the
speaker(s) shall be rated at minimum Class 2 (CL2) and shall be installed according
to the U.S. National Electrical Code (NEC) Article 725 or Canadian Electrical
Code (CEC) section 16.
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Operation
After proper connection you can turn the amplier on via the switch on
the front panel or by placing a 12VDC voltage on the remote turn on
terminals on the back panel; once the rear panel circuit breaker is on.
The stand-by LED will light up, the meter will light up, and the meter
will slowly move to near the center position of the dial. The ampliers
take a while to fully warm up, usually about an hour or so.
Introduction
For many years there has been considerable faith that if we simply keep
improving the measurements of components such as ampliers then
they will sound better. Initially this was truly the case – equipment
was sufciently awed from an objective standpoint that better
measurements matched up with subjective experience.
At some level of objective quality there started to be a disconnect, and
some audiophiles began to lose the faith. One of the responses to this
was to examine more exotic sources of distortion in the equipment
while some others simply worked to continue to reduce the aws that
were already understood. There’s no doubt that some real progress
resulted from these efforts, and now you can purchase products at
reasonable prices which measure far better than the old stuff.
But the disconnect between the customer’s perceptions and the
measurements persists, and there have been cases of state-of-the-art
engineering resulting in economic failure, apparently because people
didn’t care for the sound.
Well, of course you are dealing with people, and that will complicate
any endeavor. The customer wants what the customer wants. I have
heard arguments that audiophiles are irrational, that decisions are based
on appearance or cost or advertising. Certainly there is plenty of that,
and there have been plenty of blind tests that have demonstrated that
“audiophiles can’t hear the difference”, at least in the context of that test.
But I don’t think that’s the whole story. My experience is that under
the right conditions the customer can often hear the difference, and his
observations are not to be ignored.
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