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Pass Labs XA25 Class A Power Amp Boxed
Pass Labs XA25 Class A Power Amp Boxed
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Posted On 16.01.2025
Last Update On 16.01.2025 Pass Labs XA25 Class A Power Amp Boxed
Pass Labs XA25 Class A Power Amp Boxed Pass Labs XA25 Class A Power Amp Boxed Pass Labs XA25 Class A Power Amp Boxed Pass Labs XA25 Class A Power Amp Boxed Pass Labs XA25 Class A Power Amp Boxed
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Excellent and boxed.

PASS Labs XA25 class A power ampHow many people back in the day really knew how special a car designed by Enzo Ferrari was? Today, years after his death, an Enzo-era design from Modena is almost always more than a million-dollar investment. When it comes to audiophile amplifiers, Nelson Pass reminds me of Enzo Ferrari a bit. I say that since Nelson has been pushing the performance limits of what an audiophile amplifier can do for decades upon decades (they make some killer stereo preamps too) for brands such as Threshold, Forte, Adcom, Pass Labs, and even his kitchen-sink project, First Watt. The world of audiophile amplifiers is a better place because of a man like Nelson Pass.

The Pass Labs XA-25 is a really cool bit of audiophile gear in that it is an entry level, somewhat-low-gain, fully Class-A audiophile amplifier from the company. It isn’t balanced. It is fully Class-A to about 25 watts. The build quality is excellent. but the signature and super-sexy gauge included on the front plate of most Pass Labs gear is missing here, which saves significant cost but makes no sonic impact. Nelson and his team went all out on sound but cut costs where possible to deliver his best possible, most-signature sound (or lack thereof) at a price that is attainable for many. Let’s find out what makes this somewhat quirky audiophile amp such a cult favorite.

Pass Labs XA25 Class-A amp reviewed

This low gain but ultra-high-quality Class A operation amp is considered by Pass Labs fans to be one of Nelson’s best designs.

What Makes the Pass Labs XA25 Amplifier So Special?

Fans of tubes often are converted over to the world of solid-state power amplifiers because of Class-A technology. Amps aren’t supposed to impose their sound on an audiophile system. Class-A amps provide that detailed and airy musical reproduction that you get from SET (single ended triode) tube amps but without the maintenance and coloration of the sound.

The Pass Labs XA25 is modest in size (three rack spaces), not super heavy (under 50 pounds), and is narrow enough to fit into a professional equipment rack.

While missing the gorgeous gauge, the build quality of the Pass Labs XA-25 is simply fantastic, including a super-simple but very handsome looking faceplate. The heatsinks are beefy too, like a mini-Threshold amp for the modern era. And make no mistake, dispersing heat is a key concept for any Class-A designed amp, no matter the brand.

The design of the Pass Labs XA25 is push-pull. That isn’t the most efficient design in terms of power consumption versus output but what you do get for output is very accurate.

The feet on the Pass Labs XA25 are quite robust. They make it so that you can place this amp on any reasonably solid surface and have it feel right at home. No aftermarket cones or other tricky parts are needed to get this amp sounding its best or installed correctly.

Forget break-in time because it isn’t a thing with the Pass Labs XA25. Right out of the box, the Pass Labs XA25 sounds like a world-beater. Your ears might need a few hours to get used to what you are listening to, but your amp is up for the challenge as soon as you hit the On button. Pass Labs says that they can measure a little bit of improvement at about 30 minutes of warm-up but I couldn’t hear the difference their tools can measure. Even the engineers at Pass suggest that the change for a warmed-up amp is quite modest.

I had no problems powering full-sized audiophile speakers with the XA25. Both pairs of big speakers that I have in my system right now are around 90 dB efficient (Revel F228 BEs and Bowers & Wilkins 802 D4s – read the reviews). Once I upped my preamp’s gain a bit (the Pass Labs XA25 is a bit low-gain by design) I was able to drive either pair at rock-solid volumes..

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