Pass Laboratories XP-10 Owner's Manual
PASS®
November 18, 2010 Rev 1.02
XP-10 Owner’s Manual
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For your protection please read the following:
Water and moisture: Electrical devices should not be used near
water (as per example, near a bathtub, washbasin, kitchen sink,
laundry tub, wet basement or swimming pool ). Care should be taken
such that objects do not have the opportunity to fall, and that liquid is
never spilled onto or into the device enclosure through openings.
Power Sources: An electrical device must be connected to a mains
power source in strict accordance with the supplied product owner’s
manual. Please verify that the AC mains voltage specified in the
product manual matches those requirements indicated on the unit and
the AC voltage provided to your location by the power company.
Grounding: Adequate precautions should be taken so that the
grounding provisions built into an electrical product are never defeated.
Power Cords: Pass Laboratories provides a power supply cord that
meets all legislated requirements for the market in which the product
was originally sold. If you choose to substitute an after-market product
we urge you to choose one that is fully safety rated by the necessary
local authority.
Power Cord Protection: Power supply cords should be routed so that
they are not likely to be walked on, abraded, or pinched by items
placed on or against them, paying particular attention to cords where
they enter plugs or exit from a device. Never under any circumstance
insert a cut or damaged power cord into a mains power socket.
Power and Signal: Cables should never be connected / disconnected
with equipment powered up. Failure to heed this warning may damage
or destroy equipment.
Ventilation: Power-amplifiers run hot, but you should be able to place
your hands on them without discomfort. You must allow for this heat in
installation, by providing for free air circulation around the product.
Electronics should not be subjected to sources of excessive radiant
heat. Excessive heat can shorten the life of the product and may cause
the electronics to self-protect and shut down.
Servicing: To reduce the risk of fire, electrical shock or other injuries,
the user should not attempt to service the device beyond that which is
described in the operating instructions. All other servicing must be
referred to qualified service personnel.
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Introduction
The XP-10 is an ultra high quality line-stage audio preamplifier
featuring remote control and internal power supply. The XP-10
minimizes the number of components in the signal path, and yet
retains exemplary objective performance specifications. It pushes the
state of the art by exploring how much subjective quality is obtainable
with unique circuit elements applied in innovative ways.
The Pass Laboratories XP-10 along with the XP-20 pre-amplifiers are
the natural descendants to the highly acclaimed and successful X
series of Pass Laboratories line-stages represented by models X0.2,
X1 and X2.5.
The X series pre-amplifiers have received many highly respected and
well-deserved accolades over the past 11 years…. justifiably so. More
importantly they have provided a solid foundation from which the
current and newest product has evolved.
These new pre-amp offerings from Pass Laboratories objectively
sound and measure significantly better than their immediate
predecessors.
The new XP series pre-amplifiers are more true to state of the art
recordings than our previous line level product. Given quality
recordings, these pre-amplifiers sound more dynamic, bass lines are
more clearly, cleanly, and accurately delineated, helping eliminate unnecessary one note bass; instruments and voice are presented in a
more refined spatial envelope, and with better spectral balance.
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Fine nuances and details, which frequently have gone un- notic ed, now
become apparent -- even in loud and highly complex musical
passages.
The simple truth is that a decade of knowledge and experience gained,
coupled with new component technology, has enabled both enhanced
performance and listening satisfaction over the building blocks we had
available when the original X series pre-amplifiers came to market.
Pass Laboratories has not been shy about taking advantage of these
circuit innovations and new components in these new pre-amplifiers.
You will hear, and appreciate, these significant sonic improvements as
you experience the XP series product.
Collectively, audiophiles tend to listen quite a bit differently today, than
they did when the original X preamps were created, and the XP line of
product have all been designed to reflect those changes in listening
style.
Pass Laboratories has redesigned the remote control to allow direct
access to the most frequently wanted control functions, thus simplifying
and enhancing product operation. The new remote control codes have
been carefully selected to minimize the impact on other remote
controlled electronic devices, allowing for more carefree product
placement.
Volume control steps on the new pre-amplifiers are more numerous
and generally of smaller increments, giving the listener a wider choice
of listening levels to better accommodate the wildly-fluctuating levels of
current, verses legacy, recordings.
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Changing lifestyles dictate that many audiophiles now share family
space where music may be an adjunct to other activities. To better
serve the needs of these listeners, these new pre-amplifiers allow for
significantly more precise volume steps and greater attenuation at the
very lowest volume levels.
So that these very low-volume listening levels have real world
practicality, the noise floor and very fine detail retrieval of these new
pre-amplifiers is dramatically superior to our previous product.
Frequently, the perception of increased detail comes at the cost of
equally increased grain or edginess in the music. With this new preamplifier, hundreds of hours of thoughtful listening and careful
adjusting have produced a product where the enhanced detail simply
comes through as greater spatial refinement and dynamic accuracy;
without any loss of musicality. Bass definition is better than in
pervious models, highly dynamic passages typically have more weight,
a more accurate leading edge with increased control and the spectral
balance is more finely integrated top to bottom.
We sincerely believe these are simply the best pre-amplifiers Pass
Laboratories has ever built! Thank you for giving us the opportunity to
prove this claim.
ADVISORY
There is an Extremely Small (but Non-zero) Chance That, Through a
Process Know as Tunneling, This Product May Spontaneously
Disappear from Its Present Location and Reappear at Any Random
Place within the Universe, Including Your Neighbor's Domicile.
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The Manufacturer Will Not Be Responsible for Any Damages,
Inconvenience or Mental Anguish That May Result From These
Spacetime Perturbations.
There is a much higher probability that when you first plug your new
pre-amp into the wall and listen that you will not be experiencing the
full measure of performance this product is capable of. These are high
bias Class A topology circuits and their performance is largly
temperature dependendt. W e expect these circuits to heat up slowly
through normal operation, do not attempt to augment that heating by
any artificial means. Temperature and performance will slowly
stabalize over the first 24 hours of operation and thereafter will be at
their sonic best. Be aware however that if you unplug or otherwise
remove power from the unit that the warm up period starts afresh.
Please give this product at least 24 hours initial warm up time
before attempting any critical listening.
Like virtually all modern digital product, there is no “off” in the
traditional sense. The XP preamps are quite “Green” a typical current
draw for this product is 10 watts; they are designed to be powered up
100% of the time.
SET-UP AND OPERATION
So much for the philosophy, physics and advantages, lets play music.
Please read and understand the operational instructions and safety
issues associated with this product. We go through great effort to
make a soundly engineered, and supurbly performing product of
lasting duribility.
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