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Pass Labs 20 Years and Counting

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  #21  
Old 04-21-2012, 10:14 AM
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Shane,

Being absurd that leaves room for 5 cartridges and tonearms. But it defies having a favorite cartridge that is all you want to listen to.

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  #22  
Old 04-21-2012, 11:32 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dazngad View Post
Shane,

Being absurd that leaves room for 5 cartridges and tonearms. But it defies having a favorite cartridge that is all you want to listen to.

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Well I have 4

At the moment, Atlas gets about 65%, XV-1s about 33% and the other 2 fight over 2%.

The better the cartridge, the less you want to critically listen to the others.

Cheers
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  #23  
Old 04-21-2012, 01:36 PM
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You make me want the Atlas. I will need another tonearm. I have a Schroeder armwand that needs a mount. Frank wanted too much for it considering I bought the counter-weight & armwand already. He wanted about $3000 for the back part of the arm. Things to ponder.

Is the Pass a keeper? Yes the bass is amazing.

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  #24  
Old 04-21-2012, 08:12 PM
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Is the Pass a keeper?

Not sure. The TW phono is comfortably ahead in extension, air and to my ears more coherent in it's delivery, especially when you crank the volume. I really like what tubes do well and SS does sound constricted and mechanical in direct comparison, whether that be phono, pre or power IMO.

The pass in direct comparison seems to beam frequencies a bit more when cranked. Changes in impedance loading are a lot more apparent thou. The pass is clearer in the upper bass lower mids and better leading edge.

I might have the opportunity to try the Brinkman Edison so might wait til then.

It might be the case that Pass integrates better with dyna XV-1s but the Atlas sounded better overall to the Pass yesterday.

I will live with it a few more days. It is very good thou.

Last edited by turntable; 04-21-2012 at 08:14 PM.
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  #25  
Old 04-21-2012, 11:08 PM
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Are you able to run the Pass balanced? The cable change made a huge difference for me but the TW is more extended in upper air for certain but midrange detail and dynamic agility and even microdynamics belong to Pass.

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  #26  
Old 04-21-2012, 11:41 PM
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cj single ended only. ic is fine. run valhalla on the TW and Pass

Edit.

You are correct Darren. Pass is sounding better on day 3, approx 10 hours play - more open now.

Quieter, better midrange detail and dynamic agility, more lifelike leading edge on guitars. Radiohead is snding pretty impressive.
Tw sounds a bit like velvet in comparison. Tw still goes LOUD really well.


cheers

Last edited by turntable; 04-22-2012 at 12:37 AM.
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  #27  
Old 05-05-2012, 07:09 AM
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I compared the Pass XP-25 and the Esoteric E-03 in my system over the past few days. The Pass XP-25 is the better sounding phono in my system.

After playing some Grant Green, Radiohead, Prince, Mark Lanegan, Kraftwork and Depeche Mode the XP-25 was overall the more enjoyable and lifelike phono stage, especially at higher volumes.

the Pass has better drive and pace in the bass, however on some recordings with overblown bass the dryer Esoteric was prefable. The pass was quite a bit better in the mids with it being more 3d, had a deeper soundstage and more transparent with more musical action and information . Soundstage was quite a bit wider and higher than the Esoteric. Overall the music with the Pass was more as one and coherent where the esoteric is not quite as coherent top to bottom.

Listening to the Esoteric on its own was very nice, however with the Pass I want to listen to more music. That after all is the most important part of hifi.

the Esoteric is fully run in and the Pass has about 20-25 hours now and is only sounding better as it runs in.

On this comparison spending more $$ does get you better sound.

I still have to compare the XP-25 to the Brinkman Edison in a couple of weeks, that is if I don't pull the trigger in the mean time.

cheers
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  #28  
Old 05-09-2012, 10:48 AM
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Shane,

What do you think of the highs? Glad to hear you are getting the same impressions as me. The bass is exactly as described and so are the mids which are fantastic for any solid state unit. Now you need to compare to the Ypsilon.

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  #29  
Old 05-09-2012, 04:47 PM
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I am futzing with phono stages at this moment too. So much of this is entirely system dependent: the cartridge, the line stage, amps, speakers, and how the overall system in the room is voiced. I'm not suggesting it's all relativism, and that there aren't absolutes, but the comparisons based on somebody's experience in their system, with their ears, taste, prejudices and predilictions, have to be put into full context to be meaningful. I think you have to know a little about the listener, their system and their predilictions to extropolate one person's experience to what you may find with the same piece of equipment in your system.
As to the cartridges, I haven't heard the Atlas. I found the Titan i, which i lived with for a while (after the Parnassus), to be very spot lit, not necessarily "bright" in a bad sense, but bordering on artificially amp'd up for the sake of hi-fi. I gather that the Atlas does not share this attribute.
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  #30  
Old 05-09-2012, 04:47 PM
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Darren

nothing wrong with the highs, however they do not so "air" like TW tubes ( especially at higher volumes) and tubes are a bit more 3d like in depth and soundstage. no free lunch as you know :-(

I am actually thinking about the ARC ref2 se phono. When I tried the ref2 a while back it had tremendous transparency and air, quite a bit better than the TW. It lacked bass drive so I did not persue. From all reports the SE version brings that drive and bass tightness that I felt was missing.

Don't think I will get opportunity to hear the Ypsilon now.

Last edited by turntable; 05-09-2012 at 05:15 PM.
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