Pass Labs XS Phono
The Pass Labs XS Phono brings exceptional cartridge flexibility and a lavish dual-mono, two-chassis design to serious vinyl systems. Constantine Soo found its front-panel loading and gain controls remarkably straightforward, while careful chassis placement sharpened tonal definition and spatiality. With three configurable inputs and gain up to 76dB, it is built for ambitious multi-cartridge listening.
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Nicely Roasted
Sound Quality
85/100
Cartridge Compatibility
93/100
Build Quality
92/100
Value for Money
85/100
Pros
Exceptionally easy front-panel adjustment of impedance, capacitance, and gain.
Three inputs can save individual settings, supporting convenient multi-cartridge or multi-turntable use.
Separating the audio and power-supply chassis improved tonal definition and spatiality.
Substantial dual-mono construction uses extensive regulation, toroidal transformers, and gold-plated circuit boards.
Cons
Its large two-chassis layout demands considerable rack space and thoughtful placement for best results.
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What Reviewers Are Saying
SOUND QUALITY PERFORMANCE 85/100
The available review offers a positive but limited listening picture, highlighting improved tonal definition and spatiality when the audio and power-supply chassis are separated. It provides little direct commentary on noise, dynamics, or wider tonal character, so those areas remain less fully documented.
Transparency Noise Floor
84/100
The review discusses the unit's sensitivity to very low-level cartridge signals and its elaborate regulated power-supply architecture, but does not report audible hum, hiss, or other noise problems. There is little direct listening commentary about background silence or perceived transparency.
Tonal Balance Musicality
86/100
The reviewer heard better tonal definition with the two chassis properly separated, indicating clear tonal differentiation rather than a blurred or homogenized presentation. The review does not extensively characterize warmth, neutrality, timbre, or long-session musicality.
Dynamics
82/100
No adverse comments about compression, sluggishness, or lack of punch appear in the supplied review. At the same time, the reviewer says little specifically about transient attack, macrodynamic scale, or rhythmic drive.
Soundstage Imaging
87/100
The reviewer specifically reports better spatiality when the main and power-supply chassis are kept apart rather than stacked. That placement sensitivity suggests the XS Phono can reveal meaningful spatial information, though the review gives no detailed account of image width, depth, or layering.
Assessments of Build Quality, Usability, and Overall Propositions.
Cartridge Compatibility
93/100
Three selectable gain settings—56, 66, and 76dB—cover cartridges with a wide spread of output levels, and the reviewer found 76dB suitable for all three cartridges used. Impedance adjustment spans 30 ohms to 47k ohms, capacitance is adjustable from 100 to 750pF, and three inputs can retain separate settings, making multi-cartridge use particularly convenient.
Build Quality
92/100
The review describes a substantial two-chassis implementation, with the power supply isolated from the audio circuitry. It also reports densely populated, gold-plated circuit boards, dual-mono board pairs, multiple toroidal transformers, and extensive regulation, all pointing to unusually serious electrical and mechanical execution.
Value for Money
85/100
At roughly $33,060 to $59,800, the XS Phono occupies an uncompromising luxury segment. The supplied review does not directly compare its asking price with rivals or offer a clear verdict on value, although it documents extensive construction and adjustment facilities.
Reviews & Sources
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Specifications
- Gain options
- 56, 66, 76dB
- Inputs
- 3
- RIAA response
- plus/minus .1 dB 20-20 KHz
- Power consumption
- 55 watts
- Number of chassis
- 2
- Dimensions, each chassis
- 19”W x 14”D x 6.25”H
- Weight (Lbs)
- 80
Manufacturer's Description — Pass Labs
The XS Phono is an all-out statement: built to extract the most musical truth from the smallest signals in your system. It’s designed for the moments vinyl lovers live for—when the room goes quiet and the soundstage blooms into something you can almost touch.
With a two-chassis architecture and obsessive attention to noise and precision, it delivers a calmer background, richer tone, and a more believable sense of space—so records feel less like playback and more like presence.
The experience is scale and subtlety at the same time: delicate ambience, powerful dynamics, and a remarkable sense of “continuous” music rather than hi-fi artifacts. If your analog front end is your reference source and you want the phono stage to keep pace with the best cartridges and turntables available, the XS Phono is built for that level of commitment.
SPECS AT A GLANCE
- Gain options: 56 / 66 / 76 dB
- Inputs:
- RIAA response: ±0.1 dB (20 Hz–20 kHz)
- Power consumption: 55 W | Chassis: 2 | Weight: 80 lbs
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- A 10 Audio Room 4 Music — in-store — Amsterdam Nieuw-West, Noord-Holland, Netherlands (website)
- Aalen Hifi — in-store — Schwäbisch Gmünd, Baden-Wurtemberg, Germany (website)
- Acoustic Sounds — online and in-store — Salina, Kansas, United States (website)
- Alen Audio — in-store — Extramurs, Comunidad Valenciana, Spain (website)
- Alpha High End — online and in-store — Brasschaat, Vlaams Gewest, Belgium (website)
- Alta Fedelta — online and in-store — Lombardia, Italy (website)
- Assai Audio — in-store — Centro, Comunidad de Madrid, Spain (website)
- Atelier 13 Audio — in-store — Forest Hills, Tennessee, United States (website)
- Audio & Video Expressions — in-store — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States (website)
- Audio Aktoren — online and in-store — Horten, Vestfold, Norway (website)
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