Pass Aleph

Dear Bigfinger2000,

Your point is very well taken. From our experience the jury is still out on the 2- or 3-gain stage Aleph amps, with the 0, the 0s and the Aleph 1 being the original 3-stage models. Some people prefer the additional control and dynamics that the third stage offers, while others appreciate the elegance and simplicity of the 2-stage designs (Aleph 1.2, 2, 3, 4 and 5). I was actually only responding to the question about making the stereo amps mono, but, you're right: Ivan could actually look for one of four different Aleph mono models: the 1, 1.2, 2 or the original 0.

Peter

I started using arpanet years ago for academic questions; then easynet; then usenet, and finally the WWW and, yes, Audiogon and Audiogoners. We are very lucky to be living in this age. And, in addition, folks are communicating with each other in an informative and truly supportive way. Finally, we are VERY lucky to have Pass products and support, even after the sale.

This is very interesting to read.
I own these Aleph 0 monblocks and maybe is my opinion interesting for you:

Pass Labs: Aleph 0 mono amps

All over the world, serious listeners are coming to recognize that single-ended amplifiers capture the subtle expressions that are the soul of music. The remarkable low-level articulation, portrayal of dynamic nuances, and fine resolution of textures communicated by single-ended amplifiers truly makes the magic of music come alive in the listening room. Resolution of detail is often confused with a bright, etched presentation that artificially emphasizes delicate transient detail. Such amps advertise transients on giant billboards. For me, the concept revolves around the ability to hear into the music and follow the attack and decay of various instrumental phrases and nuances organically woven into the music's fabric. Proper reproduction demands that detail remain discreetly in the background until I choose to focus my attention on a particular instrument in a complex passage. The Aleph was outstanding in this regard, offering me high-power magnification when I wanted it while preserving the textural delicacy and natural sweetness of the upper octaves. The Aleph's tonal character could best be described as neutral—it didn't tend to soften treble transients. Hence, speakers with an emphasized treble had no place to hide. Neither did it inject a sense of warmth into the orchestral power range. The Aleph in no way beefed up speakers with lean tonal balances: their lower mids remained anemic. In concert with its SE triode cousins, the Aleph brought to bear upon the core of the music two dramatic attributes. Harmonic purity, from cello to soprano voice, was startlingly more convincing than that afforded by any other solid-state amplifier I've heard, with reproduction of violin overtones especially noteworthy. This is a hard enough task for any amp; solid-state designs typically come up short, managing to sound like so many sewing machines whining in unison. Not so the Aleph 0. While refusing to romanticize textures, it infused harmonic overtones with a natural dose of liquid gold. The overall perception was of raw speed tempered by a fistful of harmonic tonic. The Aleph's ocher SE triode-like sonic aspect had to do with its reproduction of music's microdynamics. Breathing a spark of harmonic life into instrumental outlines is part of the magic of an SE design, and derives from that first watt of power—it propels the harmonic envelope to full bloom. The dynamic microcosm lives or dies by chat first watt, and SE amplifiers possess the purest initial burst of power that anyone has yet to hear. Not surprisingly, the Aleph successfully negotiated the ebb and flow of instrumental outlines, routinely communicating the music's inherent dramatic tension. Soundstage transparency was such chat I was easily able to mentally step into the spatial illusion— image outlines were tightly focused in tidy parcels of listening-room real estate. A large chorus stretched convincingly from right to left of the stage, with a strong sense of image palpability but without smearing individual voices. When using with a good speaker then you can forget the discussion tube or solid state. I have both and I can say: THE PASS ALEPH O IS TRULY A BREAKTHROUGH PRODUCT.