The XP-17 brings Pass Labs phono performance into a single, elegant chassis—quiet, powerful, and deeply musical. It’s designed to make vinyl feel immediate: black backgrounds, rich tone, and bass that’s both deep and controlled.
With flexible gain options and RIAA accuracy kept tight, it’s an ideal partner for a serious one-table setup that values simplicity without sacrificing performance.
The XP-17’s strength is how it keeps the signal clean while letting the character of your cartridge shine through. You’ll hear more air around instruments, more texture in voices, and more stable imaging—all while keeping surface noise and distractions at bay. It’s a “set it up and fall in love with records again” kind of component.
SPECS AT A GLANCE
- Gain options: 56 / 66 / 76 dB
- Inputs: 1
- RIAA response: ±0.1 dB (20 Hz–20 kHz)
- Power consumption: 40 W | Chassis: 1 | Weight: 19 lbs
The Absolute Sound’s 2023 Buyer’s Guide
The Absolute Sound
TAS Editors’ Choice Award – 2022
The Absolute Sound
“The Pass Labs XP-17 is designed to be a very simple, user-friendly device. As such, once the settings have been optimized, it is generally assumed that there will not be much need for further settings changes – unless, of course, a new and differently-designed cartridge will be used. Basically, the Pass Labs XP-17 is a one-turntable, one-tonearm, one-cartridge-at-a-time phonostage.”
Review futureaudiophile.com – 2024
“It’s a single-chassis design with internal power supply that builds upon and updates the popular XP-15”
XP-17 TAS Editors’ Choice Award – 2021
TAS Editors’ Choice Award – 2021
The Absolute Sound
PartTimeAudio Summer Guide: Best Preamps – 2021
Part Time Audiophile
TAS Editors’ Choice Award – 2020
The Absolute Sound
“The Occasional”-Editors’ Choice Buyers Guide – 2019
The Absolute Sound
Writers Choice Awards – 2018
Positive Feedback
Best of Award 2018
HomeTheater&HighFidelity
Product of the year – 2017
audiophilia.com
An Audiophilia STAR component – 2017
audiophilia
“Exceptional resolution and dynamics. Stringed instruments sounded divine with richness and fullness, not just details only for the sake of details–the natural timbre of those strings played the prominent role; they were brought to life. Exquisite.” Karl Sigman
http://www.audiophilia.com
“I’ve been impressed with Pass Labs XP-17 phono preamplifier’s sound quality and musicality, its excellent build quality, its non-fussy demeanor in interfacing with various audio system equipment combinations I’ve tried, and its very useful adjustability features that allowed me to get excellent performance out of the moving-coil, moving-iron, and moving-magnet phonograph cartridges”
Positive-Feedback.com / Jeff Day
“It is as richly colorful, as deeply emotionally communicative and as powerful as the recording that is played. Oh and it has the best bass that I have heard from a phono preamp so far.” Christiaan Punter
http://www.hifi-advice.com
AudioArt #350 – Taiwan
“It’s really rather difficult to think there are phono stages that eclipse the XP-17, because honestly, I don’t know how my vinyl playback system could sound any better.”
Positive Feedback / Gary Beard
| Gain options | 56, 66, 76dB |
| Inputs | 1 |
| RIAA response | plus/minus .1 dB 20-20 KHz |
| Power consumption | 40 watts |
| Number of chassis | 1 |
| Dimensions, each chassis | 17”W x 12”D x 4”H |
| Weight (Lbs) | 19 |
| Gain options | 56, 66, 76dB |
| Inputs | 1 |
| RIAA response | plus/minus .1 dB 20-20 KHz |
| Power consumption | 40 watts |
| Number of chassis | 1 |
| Dimensions, each chassis | 17”W x 12”D x 4”H |
| Weight (Lbs) | 19 |
The Absolute Sound’s 2023 Buyer’s Guide
The Absolute Sound
TAS Editors’ Choice Award – 2022
The Absolute Sound
“The Pass Labs XP-17 is designed to be a very simple, user-friendly device. As such, once the settings have been optimized, it is generally assumed that there will not be much need for further settings changes – unless, of course, a new and differently-designed cartridge will be used. Basically, the Pass Labs XP-17 is a one-turntable, one-tonearm, one-cartridge-at-a-time phonostage.”
Review futureaudiophile.com – 2024
“It’s a single-chassis design with internal power supply that builds upon and updates the popular XP-15”
XP-17 TAS Editors’ Choice Award – 2021
TAS Editors’ Choice Award – 2021
The Absolute Sound
PartTimeAudio Summer Guide: Best Preamps – 2021
Part Time Audiophile
TAS Editors’ Choice Award – 2020
The Absolute Sound
“The Occasional”-Editors’ Choice Buyers Guide – 2019
The Absolute Sound
Writers Choice Awards – 2018
Positive Feedback
Best of Award 2018
HomeTheater&HighFidelity
Product of the year – 2017
audiophilia.com
An Audiophilia STAR component – 2017
audiophilia
“Exceptional resolution and dynamics. Stringed instruments sounded divine with richness and fullness, not just details only for the sake of details–the natural timbre of those strings played the prominent role; they were brought to life. Exquisite.” Karl Sigman
http://www.audiophilia.com
“I’ve been impressed with Pass Labs XP-17 phono preamplifier’s sound quality and musicality, its excellent build quality, its non-fussy demeanor in interfacing with various audio system equipment combinations I’ve tried, and its very useful adjustability features that allowed me to get excellent performance out of the moving-coil, moving-iron, and moving-magnet phonograph cartridges”
Positive-Feedback.com / Jeff Day
“It is as richly colorful, as deeply emotionally communicative and as powerful as the recording that is played. Oh and it has the best bass that I have heard from a phono preamp so far.” Christiaan Punter
http://www.hifi-advice.com
AudioArt #350 – Taiwan
“It’s really rather difficult to think there are phono stages that eclipse the XP-17, because honestly, I don’t know how my vinyl playback system could sound any better.”
Positive Feedback / Gary Beard