An actual two-chassis design, the XP-22 moves its double-shielded, low-noise toroidal transformers into an external dual-mono supply to drop the noise floor and let microdetail bloom. The supply connects via aviation-grade circular connectors using silver over oxygen-free copper conductors for pristine current delivery and lower radiated/mechanical noise. Because noise dominates THD+N at low levels, lowering it pays off immediately in resolution and dynamic expression.
Inside the gain chassis, our favorite Toshiba devices sit behind a larger, higher-biased output stage—inspired by the XS line and featuring auto bias—for effortless drive over long or multiple cable runs and a simpler, higher-performing single-ended path. A single-stage volume control (as in the XP-30) offers more range with lower noise and greater accuracy.
The XP-22 measures spectacularly well—but what you'll notice first is how natural, neutral, and musical everything sounds.
Spec highlights
- Overall Gain: 9.3 dB (Balanced)
- Inputs / Outputs: 5 in, 2 out | Remote: Yes
- Input Impedance: 22 kΩ
- Power Consumption: 40 W
- Chassis: 2 (external PSU + gain)
- Dimensions (each chassis): 17″ W × 12″ D × 4″ H
- Weight: 40 lbs (system)
Best Preamp – 2024 Gear of the Year Awards (WINNER)
Review futureaudiophile.com – 2024
The Best Preamps Buyer’s Guide – 2023
PartTimeAudio
The Absolute Sound’s 2023 Buyer’s Guide
The Absolute Sound
Stereophile Recommended Components – 2022
Stereophile
Summer Guide: Best Preamps – 2022
PartTimeAudio
TAS Editors’ Choice Award – 2022
The Absolute Sound
Stereophile Recommended Components – 2022
Stereophile
PartTimeAudio Summer Guide: Best preamps – 2021
PartTimeAudio
Stereophile Recommended Components – 2021
Stereophile
Stereophile Recommended Components – 2020
Stereophile
Audio Art “Best Performance of the year” 2020
Audio Art
Stereophile’s Editor’s Choice Award – 2019
Stereophile
Stereophile’s Amplification Product of the Year – 2019
Stereophile
“Nelson Pass’ name is on the front door of Pass Labs and for good reason. He is very possibly the most important amplifier designer to walk the Earth. Here’s something that not every audiophile knows but is true, though: Nelson doesn’t design his namesake preamps. His colleague, Wayne Colburn, is the man behind all things preamplification at Pass Labs. And these Pass Labs preamps are just as lust-worthy as Nelson’s wonderful sounding, often hot-running, Class-A power amps.”
FutureAudiophile.com Review – 2024
“Pass Labs where calm Engineering 101 rules. Should inexplicables arise, they get sorted until everything works. Longevity from reliability is key. Expendables ship out to Hollywood elsewhere in the state. That’s apparent in no-nonsense cosmetics, beefy chassis, external power supplies to increase their footprint and categorical absence of iGen frills. In fact, the iGeneration won’t know what to do with a full tape loop…”
6moons.com Review – 2023
“More importantly, prior to the XP-22’s arrival neither of us had sampled any other dual-box Pass affair. This $9’975 model sits one step above its entry-level single-chassis XP-12 sibling, but the manufacturer’s preamp roster doesn’t end there.”
HiFi Knights Review – 2023
“The Pass Labs XP-22 preamplifier ($9,500 USD) and the XP-27 phono preamplifier ($11,500 USD) currently occupy the middle spots in the company’s line-up, just under the flagship XS models.”
PartTimeAudio Summer Guide: Best preamps – 2022
“The new XP-22 from Pass Labs is a significant upgrade from the previous model. Based on new semiconductors and a new volume control, the two-chassis XP-22 vaults performance into another league.”
PartTimeAudio Summer Guide: Best preamps – 2022
“The two-box, solid state, line-level Pass XP-22 provides both balanced (XLR) and single-ended (RCA) inputs and outputs, plus a vestigial tape loop. The XP-22’s volume control—an Avago-sourced encoder that JCA describes as having “good bearings and a nice feel””
Stereophile Recommended Components – 2022
“The XP-22 preamplifier is a two-chassis design, the control module attaching to the identically sized power supply with a 9-pin JAE umbilical cable. The two boxes are stackable, and there are pieces of felt glued to the bottom of the preamp’s four feet to prevent scratching the top surface of the power supply.”
PartTimeAudio Summer Guide: Best preamps – 2021
“The two-box, solid state, line-level Pass XP-22 provides both balanced (XLR) and single-ended (RCA) inputs and outputs, plus a vestigial tape loop.”
Stereophile Recommended Components – 2021
Audio Art magazine #369
“For those who listen with their ears and not their brain, perfectionist hi-fi offers many surprises.”
Stereophile / Jim Austin
Pass Labs XP22, review de Francisco del Pozo
XP-22 Review
| Overall Gain | 9.3dB Balanced |
| Remote | yes |
| Inputs | 5 |
| Outputs | 2 |
| Input Impedance | 22K Ohms |
| Power Consumption | 40 watts |
| Number of chassis | 2 |
| Dimensions, Each Chassis | 17”W x 12”D x 4”H |
| Weight (LBS) | 40 |
| Overall Gain | 9.3dB Balanced |
| Remote | yes |
| Inputs | 5 |
| Outputs | 2 |
| Input Impedance | 22K Ohms |
| Power Consumption | 40 watts |
| Number of chassis | 2 |
| Dimensions, Each Chassis | 17”W x 12”D x 4”H |
| Weight (LBS) | 40 |
Best Preamp – 2024 Gear of the Year Awards (WINNER)
Review futureaudiophile.com – 2024
The Best Preamps Buyer’s Guide – 2023
PartTimeAudio
The Absolute Sound’s 2023 Buyer’s Guide
The Absolute Sound
Stereophile Recommended Components – 2022
Stereophile
Summer Guide: Best Preamps – 2022
PartTimeAudio
TAS Editors’ Choice Award – 2022
The Absolute Sound
Stereophile Recommended Components – 2022
Stereophile
PartTimeAudio Summer Guide: Best preamps – 2021
PartTimeAudio
Stereophile Recommended Components – 2021
Stereophile
Stereophile Recommended Components – 2020
Stereophile
Audio Art “Best Performance of the year” 2020
Audio Art
Stereophile’s Editor’s Choice Award – 2019
Stereophile
Stereophile’s Amplification Product of the Year – 2019
Stereophile
“Nelson Pass’ name is on the front door of Pass Labs and for good reason. He is very possibly the most important amplifier designer to walk the Earth. Here’s something that not every audiophile knows but is true, though: Nelson doesn’t design his namesake preamps. His colleague, Wayne Colburn, is the man behind all things preamplification at Pass Labs. And these Pass Labs preamps are just as lust-worthy as Nelson’s wonderful sounding, often hot-running, Class-A power amps.”
FutureAudiophile.com Review – 2024
“Pass Labs where calm Engineering 101 rules. Should inexplicables arise, they get sorted until everything works. Longevity from reliability is key. Expendables ship out to Hollywood elsewhere in the state. That’s apparent in no-nonsense cosmetics, beefy chassis, external power supplies to increase their footprint and categorical absence of iGen frills. In fact, the iGeneration won’t know what to do with a full tape loop…”
6moons.com Review – 2023
“More importantly, prior to the XP-22’s arrival neither of us had sampled any other dual-box Pass affair. This $9’975 model sits one step above its entry-level single-chassis XP-12 sibling, but the manufacturer’s preamp roster doesn’t end there.”
HiFi Knights Review – 2023
“The Pass Labs XP-22 preamplifier ($9,500 USD) and the XP-27 phono preamplifier ($11,500 USD) currently occupy the middle spots in the company’s line-up, just under the flagship XS models.”
PartTimeAudio Summer Guide: Best preamps – 2022
“The new XP-22 from Pass Labs is a significant upgrade from the previous model. Based on new semiconductors and a new volume control, the two-chassis XP-22 vaults performance into another league.”
PartTimeAudio Summer Guide: Best preamps – 2022
“The two-box, solid state, line-level Pass XP-22 provides both balanced (XLR) and single-ended (RCA) inputs and outputs, plus a vestigial tape loop. The XP-22’s volume control—an Avago-sourced encoder that JCA describes as having “good bearings and a nice feel””
Stereophile Recommended Components – 2022
“The XP-22 preamplifier is a two-chassis design, the control module attaching to the identically sized power supply with a 9-pin JAE umbilical cable. The two boxes are stackable, and there are pieces of felt glued to the bottom of the preamp’s four feet to prevent scratching the top surface of the power supply.”
PartTimeAudio Summer Guide: Best preamps – 2021
“The two-box, solid state, line-level Pass XP-22 provides both balanced (XLR) and single-ended (RCA) inputs and outputs, plus a vestigial tape loop.”
Stereophile Recommended Components – 2021
Audio Art magazine #369
“For those who listen with their ears and not their brain, perfectionist hi-fi offers many surprises.”
Stereophile / Jim Austin
Pass Labs XP22, review de Francisco del Pozo
XP-22 Review