I'm in the midst of writing up the Pass Labs XP-12 line-level preamplifier feature review for Positive Feedback, so I've been doing a lot of listening with the XP-12 of late, as you would expect.

Pass Labs XP-12 preamplifier and remote control.

At the moment, I'm listening to the First Watt SIT-3 (review HERE) in combination with the Pass Labs XP-12 line-level preamplifier (the SIT-3 is a nice match to the XP-12), with plans to move to the Pass Labs XA25 power amplifier (review HERE) in the near future to gather more listening impressions.

The XA25 stereo amplifier is currently a more likely match to the XP-12 pre than the SIT-3, as I believe the run of First Watt SIT-3 amps are now sold out.

If you bought a First Watt SIT-3 while they were available, you can pat yourself on the back, as the SIT-3 is a superb and rather exclusive amplifier that will bring you many decades of listening pleasure.

You can read a detailed description of the overall system being used in preparing for the upcoming review HERE. 

Audio Note (UK) CD 2.1x/II Level Two Red Book CD Player

I've been listening with two sources, the first being the Audio Note (UK) CD 2.1x/II CD player (more HERE).

The Audio Note (UK) CD 2.1x/II CD player has made listening to Red Book CDs fun again for me, something that I never expected to happen with my Red Book CD collection.  

By the way, after the feature review of the Pass Labs XP-12 line level preamplifier is complete, I'll be starting on the feature review of the Audio Note (UK) CD 2.1x/II CD player for Positive Feedback. 

CTC Garrard 301

For a vinyl source I'm using my CTC Garrard 301. I haven't listened to my Ortofon SPU Classic GM MkII stereo phono cartridge in a long time, as I've been listening exclusively with the Soundsmith Zephyr Mk III for a while now.

Ortofon SPU Classic GM MkII stereo phono cartridge on the Woody SPU tonearm.

That's about to change in the not too distant future though, as Peter Qvortrup wants me to listen to one of his step-up transformers, so I'll be switching over to the Ortofon SPU Classic GM MkII stereo phono cartridge for that, as well as revisiting the Murasakino Musique Analogue Sumile stereo phonograph cartridge (review HERE). 

Sumile phono cartridge

I haven't listened to the Sumile cartridge since the departure of the Arai Lab MT-1 step-up transformer, whose design made it an ideal match to the low-impedance Sumile photo cartridge. 

My own Intact Audio step-up transformers sound great with my Ortofon SPU Classic GM MkII stereo phono cartridge, but just couldn't get the best out of the Sumile's 1.2 Ohm internal impedance.

It will be interesting giving the Audio Note step-up transformer a listen, as Peter tells me it is designed to give optimum performance all the way down to 1 Ohm, which is exactly what the Sumile cartridge needs to perform at its best. 

Back to the First Watt SIT-3 stereo amplifier for a moment. When I reviewed the First Watt SIT-3 for Positive Feedback it was with my 8 Ohm Tannoy Westminster Royal SE loudspeakers, and an 8 Ohm load is what Nelson optimized the SIT-3 for.

I had kind of forgotten that Nelson had recommended using an 8 Ohm resister across the binding posts of my 16 Ohm Altec loudspeakers to get the best performance out of the SIT-3 until reader Alessandro reminded me of that (thank you!).

I looked through my box of Duelund CAST resistors to see if I had a pair of 8 Ohm resistors I could press into service, but no luck there, so I tried a pair of 10 Ohm Duelund CAST resistors I had across the binding posts.

I told Alessandro, "The SIT-3 sounds noticeably better with a Duelund 10 Ohm resistor across the binding posts. The presentation was much smoother and more relaxed, with much more spaciousness." 

I then found a pair of Duelund 4.7 Ohm resistors in my resistor box and gave them a try. I told Alessandro, "The 4.7 Ohm resistors didn't sound quite as good overall as the 10 Ohm resistors with the SIT-3 in my system."

Interestingly, after listening to the SIT-3 with and without the 10 Ohm resistor across the binding posts over time, I decided my initial assessment of using the 10 Ohm resistor was a bit too hasty.

While inserting the 10 Ohm resistor improved the audiophile-style visuospatial aspects of the sound, I decided it diminished the musicality somewhat, so I ended taking the 10 Ohm resistors off the binding posts and running the SIT-3 directly into the 16 Ohm load of my Altec loudspeakers. 

First Watt SIT-3 stereo amplifier with Pass Labs XP-12.

I suppose that if you have a SIT-3 you should try Nelson's recommendation of an 8 Ohm resistor across the binding posts if your loudspeakers are not rated at 8 Ohms, but I suspect whether or not you like the result will depend somewhat on your personal tastes and your loudspeakers' voicing.

The only downside of running the SIT-3 into a 16 Ohm loudspeaker load is that it halves the power from 18 watts down to 9 watts. For my Altec loudspeakers, that's way more than enough power to drive them to live-like listening levels, so the loss in output becomes a moot point. 

Oh, by the way, that reminds me that Nelson's latest First Watt product is getting close to availability, the F8 amplifier, which he announced at the Burning Amp festival. My name was put on an F8 to give it a listen, so I'll be telling you more about the F8 as I learn more. 

I don't really know any details about the F8 yet, although some posts over at the diyAudio forum indicate that Nelson has been developing the F8 for five years, and that it utilizes a single ended JFET input stage, with an output stage using SITs, for 20 watts output into 8 Ohms.

Since my last report on listening to the XP-12 line-level preamplifier with the First Watt SIT-3 stereo amplifier (HERE) and the Audio Note (UK) CD 2.1x/II CD player, I've listened to a bunch more Red Book CDs, and with excellent results. The Audio Note (UK) CD 2.1x/II CD player continues to impress, and I find myself enamoured with how enjoyable it makes my Red Book CD collection to listen to. 

Today I decided I wanted to get some LP listening in, so I thought I'd share my impressions of some of my LP listening with you. 

A while back I watched the movie A Street Cat Named Bob, which won the Best British Film at the UK National Film Awards in 2017. 

It's a great hope-filled movie, and if you haven't watched it yet, I recommend that you do - you won't be sorry!

A Street Cat Named Bob is a feel-good true story movie about a homeless guitar-playing street musician who busks on London streets to survive, and was a recovering heroin addict by the name of James Bowen. 

Then James meets Bob, the cat who would change his life in dramatically good ways The movie is an edifying true story of hope against all odds by one of our fellow travelers on Planet Earth. 

After watching the movie I ordered the soundtrack album of A Street Cat Named Bob on the Music Matters label. 

To my surprise, the nicely packaged album revealed an LP that was pressed on orange vinyl! 

Through the XP-12 preamp and SIT-3 amplifier the LP sounded gorgeous over my Duelund-ized "Stokowski" Altec loudspeakers, with a rich and tonally natural presentation, and lyrics that will encourage you during the dark times. 

The songs on A Street Cat Named Bob have catchy pop-rock melodies, and the XP-12 pre and SIT-3 amp really bring out the fine gradations of dynamics that make melodies come alive, as well as a nice strong beat to propel the music forward.

I know a lot of you like to hear a big billowing acoustic space on recordings, and the XP-12 and SIT-3 combo brings out that quality in spades on A Street Cat Named Bob. Ditto for imaging and a nice wide soundstage.

One of the albums that I can't get enough of lately is Paul Desmond, recorded in 1975 at the Bourbon Street jazz club in Toronto.

This Artists House album features Paul Desmond on alto sax, Ed Bickert on guitar, Don Thompson on bass, and Jerry Fuller on drums.

The main reason I bought this album was because it features some fine jazz guitar playing by Canadian Ed Bickert, one of my jazz guitar heroes (photo below). 

Roman Pokorny (left) with Ed Bickert (right). Roman is holding Ed's famous Telecaster. Photo courtesy of Roman Pokorny.

Ed's playing was amazing, and part of what made it so amazing was Ed was playing a Fender Telecaster instead of the usual archtop Gibson L5 or ES-335 that you hear a lot on jazz albums.

If I hadn't told you Ed was playing a Telecaster, you'd think for sure that Ed was playing an archtop, his tone was so gorgeous.

Ed's Telecaster inspired me to build a near replica of his guitar (above), which is a lot of fun to play and sounds great.

With the Pass Labs XP-12 pre and First Watt SIT-3 amp this live jazz album sounds ... well, live. There's realistic instrumental tone, lots of vivid presence of instruments on a nicely layered soundstage, and realistic dynamics that really make Paul Desmond sound and feel like you are in a jazz club and enjoying a set by a great jazz band. Really and truly superb. 

The Pass Labs XP-12 pre and First Watt SIT-3 amp cast an aforementioned huge sense of space that filled my living room, as well as a nice wide and deep soundstage with realistically sized images. 

Pass Labs XP-12 preamplifier and remote control.

In short, the XP-12 preamp sounds glorious with the SIT-3 amp, and is just a pleasure to listen to music with. I love the XP-12's remote control too, and it was really nice being able to fine-tune the volume in 1 dB steps to get just the right live-like volume for each album.

For those who own a SIT-3 amp, you might want to know that the display lighting of the XP-12 matches the power-on lights of the SIT-3, making for an attractive combination of components.

Ok, that's all for now. Next I'll try the Pass Labs XP-12 line preamplifier with the Pass Labs XA25 power amplifier, and report back on the results. 

As always, thanks for stopping by, and may the tone be with you!