![]() ![]() Even my standby CJ PV-12 turns in an amazing performance with these amplifiers and reminds me of when I used the Threshold 4000A with a CJ PV-2a preamplifier. My ARC REF 5 proves a perfect match for the XA160.8, but after spending a bit of time with the top-of-the-line Xs Pre, I’m guessing it’s upgrade time again. With balanced XLR inputs (the XA160.8 is a fully balanced design) and RCA inputs, this amplifier works well with any preamplifier. A peek inside the case reveals a prodigious bank of power supply capacitors flanked by equally huge heat sinks, each with “more output transistors than necessary.” 8 series is individually designed from the ground up with all nine amplifiers in the range using different input and driver circuitry optimized for progressively larger output stages. Pass makes it a point to let you know that these are not cookie-cutter amplifiers, with each version sharing an input stage followed by progressively larger output stages. The price tag is still not pocket change, but a far cry from what the four-chassis, big boys will set you back. The results put the 160.8 closer in sound to the massive, two-chassis Xs amplifiers than before. The changes draw more power from your wall, and generate more heat – something we put to good use here in the Pacific Northwest. Larger power supplies and a more refined circuit allow these new amplifiers to be biased further into class-A territory. 8 series of Pass amplifiers takes these designs a major step further. 5 series (you can read our review of the XA160.5 monoblocks here and the XA200.5 monoblocks here ) the. But at almost $90K per pair they are not within the reach of every audio enthusiast.Įnter the XA160.8 monoblocks at $29,000/pair. Pass is fond of saying that he likes the sound of tubes without the hassle, and the Xs300s deliver this in abundance. ![]() Not letting the drivers act in a willy-nilly manner keeps distortion and non-linearity at bay, resulting in a cleaner, clearer, less fatiguing sound. The major benefit to the massive power supplies and output stages in the two-chassis Xs amplifiers is the amount of control they enforce on your loudspeakers. At least control of your speakers’ cones. It even sported an awesome set of red LED power output meters! The 4000A stayed in my system for a long time after our publisher’s terrier-like nose for all things audiophile led him sniffing down other paths and, as with one of my prized BMW 2002s, I still regret selling it.ĭon’t let Nelson Pass’s easy demeanor fool you he wants control. Back in 1980-something, that Threshold was a mind-bender because this massive solid-state amplifier made the room warmer than any tube amplifier I had ever experienced, sounded as musical as anything with glowing bottles, yet had killer bass output and control. I’m a tube guy I’ve always been a tube guy – the tubey-er, the better. It goes all the way back to the early 1980s, when we lived on Milwaukee’s East Side and he talked me into helping him carry his new Threshold 4000A power amplifier up a few flights of stairs. While the company’s flagship Xs300 monoblocks have been serving dual duty as his reference amplifiers and the furnace for the TONEAudio studio for some time now, his relationship with Nelson Pass is more than a mere bromance. Each set includes comprehensive cheat sheets and brush texture reference booklets.It’s no secret our publisher is incredibly enthusiastic about Pass amplifiers.All brush sets include a mix of easy-to-follow installation guides and/or full video tutorials to help you get the most out of your brushes whether you’re a texturing novice or a seasoned pro.All brushes are made with a focus on authentic source materials and ease of use with a mix of pressure-sensitive round tipped brushes for precision application and “stamp” style brushes for fast texturing of large areas.Huge range of textures and applications suitable for an enormous variety of design and illustration styles.Includes over 640 high-resolution brushes up to 5000px wide. ![]()
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