Anyone auditioned Pass Labs XP-30 preamp?

2006slam,

I see you're in Hong Kong. Can you please describe the shop you listen at? I live in Phoenix & we don't have a Pass dealer anymore. We've never had an Accuphase dealer. The C3800 must be very nice, to be compared to the top Rowland & Pass preamps.
I do have the XP-20 now & the Rowland 625. They definitely sound good together, IMO....

Absolute Sound's newest issue gave the XP30 a glowing review.

Mike

I just read the TAS review. I'm disappointed that there was not some comparison made to the XP-20 or other top preamps. Anthony Cordesman should have done the review as he is the TAS guy who knows Pass gear. Also the review was very short and there were just as many pages with photos as there were pages with text. I actually didn't think it was such a good review. It mentions how close SS and tube designs have become and yet in the very same issue, Nelson Pass himself states the the two typologies are diverging.

A couple of user reviews here on Audiogon would probably be more helpful.

I found the Constellation gear review by JV to be much more informative.

Peterayer,

I just read the review in TAS as well and agree with you; a little disappointed. It wasn't as informative as I'd hoped, was short and well.....I expected more for such a great piece with little to no publicity.

There was a review posted online from Hometheatrehifi that has some measurements and comparisons to the XP-20 that they also reviewed.

No idea of the weight these reviews carry as opposed to TAS, but there they are.