Pass Labs XP-10 User's Manual
Contents
1. pass thru command within 7 seconds then the command sequence aborts and the XP 10 resorts to it s previous status DISPLAY The default setting for the display is bright pressing the display button once changes the display to it s dim or low intensity setting pressing the button a second time selects off for the display When off is selected any other control function will cause the display to indicate product operational status for approximately 7 seconds and then the display will once again blank Pressing the display button a third time cycles back to a bright display We recommend the use of the balanced output mode where possible Balanced input to power amplifiers will typically retain the character of the input mode but offers less distortion less noise more gain and more voltage swing without compromising the sound With balanced operation the common mode rejection of the preamp reflects the intrinsic common mode rejection of the topology the matching of the gain devices and the matching of the attenuator channels In this case we have been able to keep the total mismatch to about 1 for a common mode rejection of approximately 60 dB The input system of the preamplifier will exhibit full common mode noise rejection with passive balanced sources where the negative input is connected to ground at the source through the appropriate source impedance This allows adaptation of unbal2. 2 Hz 3 dB at 60 kHz lt 1 THD typically lt 002 2 volts 1KHZ 15 volts rms bal out 15 volts rms unbal out 150 ohms unbalanced 300 ohms balanced 48 kOhm unbalanced 96 kOhm balanced typical 60 dB 1KHz typical 90 dB 1KHz lt 110 dB Ref 5V 10 watts 17 W x 12 D x 47H 32 pounds in packing carton Pass PASS Pass Labs Pass Laboratories Supersymmetery Aleph and Zen and ate all registered trademarks of Pass Laboratories Inc and all rights thereto ate protected by law 10 Warranty Information XP 10 Owner s Manual Please check with the factory authorized distributor in the country you are purchasing this product for specific warranty information All Pass Laboratories products purchased from an authorized Pass Labora tories dealer in North America are covered by a transferable limited 3 year warranty This warrantee includes all parts and labor charges incurred at the repair facility in addition to return shipping to the domestic customer exclu sive of subsequent damages Damage due to physical abuse is specifically not covered under this warranty Por this warranty to apply the customer is responsible for returning the product unmodified to the factory within the warranty period The customer assumes all responsibility for shipping and insurance to the factory or a fac tory specified repair facility The conditions and stipulations of this Pass
3. 0 dB as the maximum volume step 64 setting We suggest that you let your ears determine which setting conveys the most sonic benefit in your system Hi gain may be appropriate for sources that output less than 2 volts rms single ended and 4 volts rms balanced When hi gain is selected the vacuum fluorescent front panel display will indicate this choice by displaying an next to the volume setting Low gain is the default setting The electronic volume control allows greater than 70 dB range and is driven by a micro controller that reads the optical encoder serving as a front panel volume control In this manner tracking of the volume of the two balanced channels is possible with accuracy unavailable on any ordinary volume control assuring precise level steps and high common mode rejection in balanced circuits Wayne Colburn s exceptional volume control in conjunction with the fluorescent display give the user ability to replicate volume levels with absolute accutacy in steps of roughly 1 dB The remote control uses a multi button direct access architecture This remote is designed to operate several pieces of Pass Labs electronics not all of the functions available on this remote will be applicable to your Pass Laboratories XP 10 The Remote control operation is or should be very intuitive in operation we have attempted to make it s operation as familiar as possible Where applicable the remote mirrors the front panel controls Pow
4. Laboratories warranty only applies to units sold new in North America Non North America customers should consult with their original Pass Labs dealer or distributor for warrantee repair instruction prior to contacting the factory or shipping product for repair Non North American product must be returned to the country of origin for warrantee service Foreign distributors are only required to offer warranty service on Pass Laboratories product that they have imported Please note Conditions of warranty service and customer rights for product purchased outside the United States may vary depending upon the distribu tor and local laws Please check with your local distributor for specific rights and details Any modifications to Pass Laboratories products that have not received written factory approval nullify all claims and void the warrantee Should a modified product be returned to the factory for repair the owner will be re quired to pay all necessary charges for the repair in addition to those charges required to return the product to it s original configuration In the case of safety issues no product shall be returned to the customer without those safety issues being corrected to the most recent accepted standards Removal or alteration of original Pass Labs serial numbers voids the factory warranty Product with altered or missing serial numbers will be suspected as counterfeit product Pass Laboratories will not repair or in a
5. only There are two pairs of outputs available with identical gain structure One pair Balanced one pair single ended Balanced inputs and outputs are via XLR connectors Single ended inputs and outputs are via RCA connectors On the XLR connectors pin 1 is grounded pin 2 is the positive signal and pin 3 is the negative signal Left channel RCA connectors are marked with L Right channel RCA connectors are marked with R In a similar fashion balanced XLR inputs and outputs are marked with L for left and R for right channel The main outputs are located at the left hand side viewed from the rear of the rear panel two male XLR connectors and two RCA connectors R right and L left The RCA connector s ground is in parallel with pin 1 of the XLR outputs and the RCA hot is fed from an independent summing junction that maximizes the X citcuit benefits The RCA single ended outputs are buffered from the balanced outputs You may use both the single ended and balanced outputs at the same time On the XLR pin 1 is ground pin 2 is positive and pin 3 is negative In application the XP 10s front panel controls and alphanumeric display are quite straight forward and intuitive We encourage you to become familiar with their operation prior to establishing any input connections with this unit Experience indicates that engaging in a few minutes of exploration will add much to your ultimate enjoyment of
6. PASS XP 10 Owner s Manual April 8 2008 1 Introduction XP 10 Owner s Manual 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 edge 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 The new XP series pre amplifiers are more true to state of the art recordings than our previous product Given quality recordings these pre amplifiers sound more dynamic bass lines are more clearly cleanly and accurately delineated helping eliminate un necessary one note bass instruments and voice are presented in a more refined spatial envelope and with better spectral balance Fine nuances and details which frequently go un noticed now become apparent even in loud and highly complex musical passa
7. anced sources to balanced operation with passive cable connections in a manner that achieves the noise rejection of active balanced sources The use of a micro controller allows all of the preamplifier functions to be repeatable and accurately controlled The micro processor only controls the functions of the preamplifier At no time does any of the input or output signal come into contact with the digital control signals The digital circuits are powered by a power supply that is isolated from the analog supply Should it ever be necessary to update the software that controls the functioning of the preamp only the socketed micro processor need be changed XP 10 Owner s Manual Muting relays which delay connection during turn on and shut off the output when insufficient power supply is available to maintain regulation guard the output of the preamplifier and offer protection to the power amplifier and loudspeakers The XP 10 consists of a single chassis For more information please contact Pass Laboratories Inc PO Box 219 24449 Foresthill Rd Foresthill CA 95631 Tel 530 367 3690 Fax 530 369 2193 www passlabs com 2008 Pass Laboratories Inc XP 10 Specifications XP 10 Owner s Manual Gain Freq Response Distortion Maximum Output Output Impedance Input Impedance CMRR Crosstalk Signal to Noise Ratio Power Consumption Dimensions chassis Shipping Weight OdB or 10dB selectable 3 dB
8. er tape and ext amp on external amplifier turn on have no reality with the XP 10 these specific control functions have no effect on this product MUTE pressing mute once will quiet the pre amplifier outputs pressing mute a second time will return you to the previous volume control setting INPUT SELECTION Pressing 1 2 3 4 5 will immediately move the input selection to that input selection volume and balance settings will not be disturbed BALANCE Pressing balance left lt or balance right gt will increase the level in the left or right speaker depending upon which button is pushed VOLUME Pressing the increase button or the decrease v button will shift the volume setting 1dB holding a button down will increase or decrease the level until such time as you either release pressure on the button or reach the limits of the volume control Design Comments XP 10 Owner s Manual PASS THRU Pushing this button twice sets the pre amplifier to it s default low gain setting selects volume step 64 0 dB and input 5 We have intentionally made this command a two step operation such that you will not accidentally select this command with it s associated high volume Pressing the button once will bring up the question of YES on the display If you are sure that you wish to access the pass through function press the button a second time There is a time out built into this command sequence If you do not confirm the
9. ges 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 in 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 XP 10 Owner s Manual 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 Changing lifestyles dictate that many audiophiles now share family space where music may be an adjunct to ot
10. her 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 pre amplifier 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 the finest pre amplifiers Pass Laboratories has built to date without question Thank you for your purchase of the XP 10 ADVISORY Set up XP 10 Owner s Manual 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 The Manufacturer Wi
11. ll Not Be Responsible for Any Damages Inconvenience or Mental Anguish That May Result 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 We 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 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 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 We understand that things infrequently go wrong if you have any questions or proble
12. ms please contact either your dealer or the factory we are here to support the product and you the user As with all audio electronics the power cable should be the last thing attached and the first one removed any time you hook up or remove equipment from the signal chain The preamplifier s voltage and current rating are indicated by affixed tag on the rear of the preamplifier It will indicate either 240 volts 220 volts 120 volts or 100 volts A 0 5 amp 3AG slow blow fuse is provided with 100 120 volt units and a 0 25 amp slow blow fuse is provided with 220 240 volt units The input frequency rating of the power supply is 50 to 60 Hz The preamplifier typically draws Description of Operation XP 10 Owner s Manual 10 watts during operation Please verify that the indicated voltage requirement of this preamplifier is consistent with the utility voltage at your location We have provided a standard IEC AC power cord that fits into the IEC 320 line receptacle at the rear of the preamplifier chassis The preamplifier is equipped for operation with an earth ground provided by the users AC outlet Do not defeat this ground The chassis and circuit ground of the preamplifier is connected to earth through a power thermistor which gives a ground connection for safety but helps avoid ground loop related noise issues There are a total of five inputs Two of the five inputs are balanced XLR only The other three inputs are single ended
13. ny way indemnify any counterfeit or cloned product Pass Laboratories does not offer products in voltages intended for inter national markets either to authorized Pass Labs dealers or to third parties located in the United States or Canada 11 For your protection please read the following XP 10 Owner s Manual 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 ownet 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 cord
14. s 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 12 13 XP 10 Owner s Manual
15. t 5 of the XP 10 with the gain of the XP 10 set for Unity the volume will be under full control of the processor and the XP 10 s action will be totally transparent When the user chooses this setting the software sets the XP 10 s gain to the low gain setting regardless of how it was previously configured When at Unity both left and right level controls on the XP 10 will have a displayed value of 64 0 dB and any previous balance settings will be lost Both of these default conditions are intentional and intended to make the most advantageous use of your source electronics You may also set any input to unity 0 dB by selecting low gain and setting the volume at step 64 Before selecting the theatre pass through pass thru option it is imperative that the input device on input number 5 has its gain set to minimum Failure to follow this precaution could result in a volume level intolerable to both ears and speakers To further protect yout hearing and valuable audio equipment we have designed this product so that the volume setting of the preamplifier will always revert to zero as you change inputs from Pass Through to any other input The XP 10 to our knowledge is unique in that its gain may be attenuated to match the requirements of a wide variety of electronics XP 10 Owner s Manual and speakers The gain control toggles between two settings offset from one another by 10 dB The high gain selects 10 dB and the low selects
16. this exceptional Pass Labs product The left most button on the front panel is Mute Pressing this button toggles between mute on and mute off Mute on removes signal from the output of the preamp XP 10 Owner s Manual The front panel mode switch cycles the preamplifier and it s display through 2 different functions These two functions are as follows Input and Gain The two Select switches designated by left and right pointing arrows then alter the displayed active function When the mode button is set to input default mode the left right arrows select for inputs 1 through 5 Input 5 is unique in that it is linked with the Home Theater Unity Gain function The HOME THEATRE FUNCTION is discussed at length later in this manual The two select arrows logically control selections of the various inputs to the preamplifier The theater pass through function bears special attention this function is only available as direct access through the hand held remote control This function is associated only with input number 5 and has two positions selected with the pass thru button on the remote those two positions on and off This function is useful in that it allows the preamplifier to function as a unity buffer 0dB gain at volume step 64 for use with components that best function with their own volume controls such as surround processors When the right front and left front outputs of the processor are routed through inpu
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