Pass Labs HPA-1 Headphone Amp Review

[JSmith]

Can somebody explain the advantage of a locking headphone socket? Seems like a really stupid idea on a headphone amplifier, unless you like pulling your equipment from your stack or breaking something on your headphones because you stood up not remembering you had headphones on.

Unsure... hopefully not related to the targeted customer base.

I’ll Pass

If in passing I happen to walk past Pass Labs' labs, I will surely keep walking past making sure I pass by entirely, plus also like you and Solderdude I will pass on the $3.6K HPA. If I owned this already it would be awkward to pass this on to a new owner, knowing they might pass on the Pass purchase if they have read Amir's test results. I suppose I could tell them of the results after they purchased it... but they might pass out when they find out about the bad Pass.


JSmith

 

[Mojo Warrior]

Is everybody ignoring the $3600 of snake oil that comes with this ?

 

[Haruko]

i like that input connector it looks cool

 

[solderdude]

i like that input connector it looks cool

Buy one, just around $8 and a lot cheaper than the complete amp

https://www.neutrik.com/en/product/nj3fp6c-b

 

[Geert]

I can’t believe nobody made this joke: I’ll Pass

Can't believe nobody argued this must be a broken unit

 

[Marc v E]

Personally, although the amp measures ánd sounds bad, I think it would benefit ASR greatly if we wouldn't shoot the messenger (ie embarrass the person who spend 3600 on this unit). I know the satisfaction of roasting a terrible performance but in the end it doesn't serve our goal of spreading the word on great measuring hifi. It just makes a good fight (imo)

 

[Geert]

How could you not isolate the circuits from PS noise

This is what they call a resolving amp, expensive enough to allow you to hear the benefits of a power conditioner.

 

[pavuol]

I like the designer's name on PCB: Jam Somasundram, speaking below He now works for some company called Quadratic Audio
Btw. it looks huge in the video..

 

[the_brunx]

 

[Hipster Doofus]

Thank you… I bought and built the little ACÁ amp kit a few years ago and it had no power at all , I was glad to get rid of it…PASS TRASH….

 

[Robbo99999]

Prize for overall worst headphone amp!? (certainly with price factored in!?)

 

[Robbo99999]

Can somebody explain the advantage of a locking headphone socket? Seems like a really stupid idea on a headphone amplifier, unless you like pulling your equipment from your stack or breaking something on your headphones because you stood up not remembering you had headphones on.

It's for when you're out running with it!

 

[Billy Budapest]

I like the designer's name on PCB: Jam Somasundram, speaking below He now works for some company called Quadratic Audio
Btw. it looks huge in the video..

Wait a minute—people buy Pass Labs equipment because it ostensibly has been designed by Nelson Pass, who is an audio engineer of some acclaim, having designed products for Threshold, Adcom, and Nakamichi. So with this piece, you are not getting a Nelson Pass design?

 

[respice finem]

Buy one, just around $8 and a lot cheaper than the complete amp

https://www.neutrik.com/en/product/nj3fp6c-b

I'm relatively "immune" to what stuff looks like, but this, on the front panel, is super ugly IMHO.

 

[respice finem]

Can't believe nobody argued this must be a broken unit

OK, it's broken. By design.

 

[Euphonic_employee]

Enjoyment of consumer electronics in general, is wrapped in this "Pump and dump" price magic. As much as audio this one loves information displays, and the price of those can vary from

Sony BVM-HX310 $33000​

to below $1000. Yet they are both assembled with "pick and place" robots the same
with implementation of human interface electronics being the major difference. Aphorisms aside, most electronics interfacing with human senses(sight, sound, IDK if anyone figured out how make money from redolence electronically) are the results of profit schemas not an altruistic endeavour to please our ear, eyes, et. al.
We who wish to continue with our technolust must form a practical international community and prevent anyone from selling products unless certain objective criteria are met. Or just learn to love the e-waste that is the bulk of consumer electronics.
One may laugh at an attempt to prevent manufactures from making electronics unless this and that criteria our met. But the Kellogg-Briand Pact was taken serious why not an international ceasefire on making bullshit electronics?

 

[Vini darko]

The emperor has no clothes. Thanks for the review Amir , always interested to see big/boutique names in audio reviewed. Shame it rarely goes well for them.
My Topping L30 really puts this Pass into perspective. They both have a issue with gain not being enough to get max power with 2V input. Beyond that it's a slaughter

 

[Spkrdctr]

Ok, we now have a record for headphone amplifiers. This is first off a piece of junk. Still waiting for Amir to spend the necessary $20,000 to get a Junk Panther..... Seriously though, this is a record setting piece of equipment. It joins the other dozen or so pieces of junk Amir has tested. In case anyone didn't get the memo, this is junk. But hey, at least it is expensive junk! The best kind

 

[vitalii427]

Just PASS it

 

[Ken Tajalli]

I hope it won't get deleted.
I should get one of these for Amir, for when the need arises.