Nelson Pass on his favorite amps, playing with distortion, and his 21 inch subwoofer
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- čas přidán 20. 08. 2024
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If you have questions for Nelson email, nelson@passlabs.com
www.passlabs.com/
www.firstwatt.com/
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I like Mr. Pass and his ideas, a simple man who doesn't sell snake oil; in his immense modesty he is a great genius for the audiophile community.
Long live Nelson.
First watt is Pass’s personal passion
This is quite an ironic statement.
Nelson represents, at least to me, the true master. He is humble, he is a genius, truly a master !
I love these interviews with Nelson. What a great wealth of knowledge.
Thanks, Steve!
What did he teach you?
These interviews with Nelson are refreshing. Nelson's blend of art and engineering is brilliant and it's wonderful to learn about the camaraderie that made /makes it all happen. I love the detail and candor of Nelson's responses.
Thank you Mr Pass for your time and your infinite wisdom. You are a treasure.
Thank you Steve for this interview.
We would love it if you could tour Pass Labs and record a video of that amazing shop.
I could listen to you guys for hours. Much appreciated!
I could listen to Nelson and Steve talk for days! It’s all gold!!!
I can’t tell you how many times I have watched the Nelson Pass interviews... Amazing. Thx Steve!
Are you the gentleman from Argentina? The one with the horn speakers?
M Karim I am!
@@miguelbarrio oh wow, what an inspiring interview that was. Please enjoy your system, it is wonderful, thank you for replying
Once again you nailed it Steve.
Fascinating to hear such a nice
guy talk about audio in such an
informative way. Loved it 😎
Great interview Steve! Been a fan of Mr. Pass since his days building amps for Adcom and Nakamichi.
I own a Threshold S/300 Nelson designed in the 1980s and it is a joy to listen to. Thank you Steve and Nelson!
As someone who built the DIY version of the First Watt M2 amp I can verify that Nelson is very particular as to parts selection. The sound of the amp is warm, tubelike and involving. For me, it makes the debate of tubes vs solid state a pointless exercise. That I was able to have this level of performance at about 1/4 of the commercial price for the same amp is even better. Nelson Pass really, really knows his stuff.
Love listening to Nelson Pass. Thanks Steve. Not sure he answered the question about which speakers pair well with his amplifiers. But not sure his distributors want to hear the response either. Nelson is pure class. 👍🏾
Smart and elegant man. I love his insight and his wisdom on HiFi. I also noticed his clean and beautiful stereo system setup. One day I’ll be owning one of his amps. Thanks!
Can we talk about how much of his ideas and developments Mr. Pass just gives away for DIYers who want to make their own high quality gear? While everyone else in the industry treats their innovations in circuit topology or component selection as Skunk Works secrets.
I have only heard Nelson Pass 3 or 4 times, but I don't think I ever heard him discuss the products that he made with Threshold in the 80s. I had a FET 1 and a S/500 back in those days and really enjoyed them. Maybe I was one of the very few that are nostalgic about that equipment. Oh well.
Steve I feel like these are historical tapes in the making.
What a beautiful interview what a legend Nelson pass will go down in history one of the best amplifier designers in the world had a great pleasure Steve of knowing him meeting him talking with him happy I've seen this video
The fact that Nelson Pass plays the drums, even poorly, makes me like him even more, because I also play the drums, probably worse, but to know the sound of real drums is important in designing audio gear, at least in my mind. If the drums don't sound good on any given component, I don't want it. That's the second thing I concentrate on when listening to any new component, right behind the human voice.
Great timing on this interview as I just entered the world of PASS by purchasing an XA30.5! Steve, thanks for these terrific segments and Mr. Pass, thanks for being generous with your time.
I wish you had Nelson show us his home system...
Thoughtful, intelligent and considered people are interesting to listen to on any topic. As it happens, Nelson is talking about audio. Kick ass.
Just demoed a F7 for a week at my home in my rig.....
It’s AWESOME!!!
Kleinhorns? Amazing. These are incredible speakers... Coupled with the El-Pipe-O it must have been incredible.
Priceless interview, Thank you for this Steve.
I was a Threshold dealer back in late 70's early 80's .. I had a chance to meet Mr. Pass at the winter CES show in Las Vegas, talked to him briefly as he was surrounded and I remember someone asking him about the LED meters on the Stasis Two and when the LED meters were spiking did that mean the Amp was clipping.. his response was hysterical.. Does it sound like it is clipping? well no it does not.. Right was his answer .. I throw pillows in front of mine he replied. next time around I will take them off .. I always thought the Stasis Two amplifier was a beautifully styled amp. They were replaced by the S500 Which was the brushed aluminum (still hand milled) face without the meters. I remember him with dark hair and beard lol..
I knew Nelson back in 1980 when my father became a dealer for Threshold in San Francisco. His factory was in Auburn and I would drive up there and pick up his amps to demo with Snell A speakers. The 80's were the golden age of audiofile.
Bravo. Very nicely done.
Where would we be without you two? Many thanks!
Nelson Pass!!! Желаю вам , творческих успехов ,здоровья,счастья
Love my Firstwatt F7. It makes my music sound amazing. Thankyou Nelson.
Nelson truly is one of the most special people in the audio industry, a true gentleman in every respect.
cool stuff. Loved the discussion about harmonics and the phase of the harmonics and how that affects a listener's perception of the sound field.
"nothing about it to offend anybody", great statement
Interesting - in the early 60s - my father had build a speaker enclosure made from a 5 feet concrete tube for his 15" Tannoy - brings back memories !
Steve, just watched this for the first time and Nelson is one of the greats… As I have told you, my original love amp was GAS Ampzilla, it was so much better than the rest in the late 70s.. We can count on 1 hand designers like these 2…
Great to see an interview with Papa Nelson!, the ever so elusive genius, very nice to see you both. it's been a long time! I've met Mr. Pass about 28 or 30 years ago in a show can't remember which one . . maybe a Chicago CES . .? (when audio shows were a part of the Consumer Electronics Show), we never met with you Steve, but we have a few friends in common.
Elegant looking system back there.
You're a very lucky man Steve, that you can count people like Nelson Pass and Herb Reichert as your friends...
A true genius is one that can explain their ideas in a way that most people can understand. Nelson Pass is a true genius. Great interview series. Thanks Steve.
Look at that record collection reflected in the TV screen!
Awesome interview! Thanks to both of you two of MY audio hero's!
Awesome video and opportunity to see a legendary and yet humble master of the art and science of whom I've just recently became aware!
And the winner of the "Joke Assassination du Jour" award goes to...
Brilliant interview, thank you!
Great interview...really enjoyed this one!
I don’t see our generation equaling these things. Wonderful catalog of American Ingenuity no blow hard gets close to these works of Technical Art.
Enjoy listening to this bloke. I remember back in the 70's/80's when critics were saying that his Class A designs were always harsh or bright. Never found that myself. Great designer.
Great stuff! How about a Glenn Croft interview?
Just wonderful, well done
Sorry to tell you MCM Electronics went out of business a few years ago ,Newark electronics was a sister company that now sells some MCM products but not many ,I used them a lot and miss them .
Absolutely wonderful. Thanks to both of you!
love the interviews with this hunble great man i always wanted to buy his amps but life got in the way .my friend had his power amp pre amp forgot the models many years ago .with the lin isobarecks tough speakers to drive .the sound just blew me away .happy new year steve .might win the 649 in the new year and buy a whole bunch of his top goodies.😊😊😊
Sea Ranch! OMG im keeping my eyes peeled for Mr Pass. We are close.
My question to Nelson Pass is why descontinue pass aleph series amp specially aleph 3 and 5 both are spectacular amplifiers
Imagine the golden generation like this being mentors to the younger instead of the useless, celebrity obsessed personalities we have now. In the U.K. you had areas like Birmingham and Manchester where small companies were making bespoke bicycle components and engineering.
Sea Ranch is a beautiful place
6:20 One of Frank Zappa's biggest laments, was that, his orchestral compositions were not rehearsed well enough before performances, so he wasn't usually satisfied with the results.
Frank was also a conductor of his works at times, so, he had a direct "ear" of what he wanted to be accomplished. He always had a direct composer's hand in his own Rock/Jazz/Blues workings, as can clearly be sen by his hand signaling or even body motions in many a live performance. One of his favorites was, to change the beat of the song he wanted to be performed to "Reggae" by putting his hand to the side of head and gesturing a twisting motion with it, like turning a knob. One concert he messed with his band and changed every song to a Reggae beat.
I'm using a First Watt M2, very nice sound
I have one also. Very nice indeed.
Wow, such interesting tidbits on engineering design and people's tastes.
Great interview Steve. What a great interviewee. How do know a drummer is at your door? The knocking speeds up. boom tish!
How do you get that same drummer to leave after he knocks on your door? Pay him for the pizza.
How do you know whether the stage is level? The drummer dribbles out of both sides of his mouth.
Liked the interview, Steve. Thanks!
When HP was reviewing gear, he would use Carnegie Hall as his reference, having been to a lot of concerts there and he also had Vinyl that was recorded there.
Amps Amps Amps.... There is ONE thing i cannot understand: WHY the Heck, are most of the Tube Amplifiers voiced to deliver a "weak Bass"? Is this for a purpose, or do the Designers simply do not care about this? Or do they think, that the audiophiles prefer a "weak Bass" sound to their Tube-Amp experience? It´s a miracle to me... really!
It's a shame we can't find the 21 inch woofers anymore.
Look at the reflection in the tv of the massive bookcase full of vinyl lp’s
Good eye
Glad to have any kind of response
Alfonso Capone thanks
a word of caution, the larger the woofer cone the harder it is for proper alignment to be maintained. The defect rate is definitely higher on larger coned woofers due to misalignment. (often returned as "blown" or "frozen")
Damn Steve, please show us Nelson's toys. He's my hero, too.
Great stuff!
Thanks Mr PASS !
Wishes for the best to all
I really enjoyed my BHK amps/receiver until the build quality shone through. Now, they are expensive paper weights. Time to try Pass.
3:12 A resonant frequency burp!
Great interview
What a nice person. Just like John Curl and Tom Colangelo
Whaaaat? No mention of the Aleph Class A amps as being a favorite? The X1.2s I have are glorious.
A question for you next interview could be to ask what kind of current/power purification is actually taking place inside the power amplifiers, like the XA100.5 I have for example. What is actually happening to the AC just before it goes into the DC stage? That would be really interesting to understand!
The AC mains are rectified and then ripple filtered with large caps for the rails, and then coupling caps pass the AC signal to the DC gain stages. In a nutshell.
The accuracy question is a good one and the answer by Pass and Guttenberg I feel is correct; we don't/can't know which is the most accurate system; it's all in the ear/brain of the individual listener.. So tailor the sound for your ears and enjoyment and be happy!
Quality of parts: Benedict Audio and LFD made this a point of pride too. PS I am currently running an X150.8.
Hi Steve, great video. I have never had the pleasure of hearing a Pass Labs amplifier; there are no dealers nearby in the northwest. Nelson referred to a Pass Labs “house sound”; do you agree that their amps have a signature sound of their own? Could you describe that sound?
I'm not so worried with accurate sound, I'm not sure what to call it. But I like what I think sounds good! And I know it when I hear it!!
HPD385 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
FANTASTIC!
Nelson Pass è un "mostro sacro" dell'alta fedeltà! Un po' come Mark Levinson. Voglio un ampli progettato da lui!
Der er sikkert mange der kan forstå det pis du skriver!!
say what? If a newly uploaded CZcams video is 20 mins but has only been viewable for 5 mins or less people are selecting like or dislike. It's not hard to see in real time. People just click like or dislike before they even watch any or all of a video is the point.
Humble Genius, a true menshe!
Mr Nelson, I can come by and pick up those first watt puppy's and load them in the car, you don't need to call the COLLECTIVE I can collect them my self. 😀
Yamamura horns are what Nelson mentioned cork over copper beasts I've owned the drivers and mid horns.
What is the purpose of the Nelson Pass upgrade for the Adcom GFA555 ? Does it make it more powerful?
I prefer .5s over .8s and will never give up my pair of XA160.5 amps.
Fascinating insights. Wonderful listening.
One small hiccup: did Steve burp after Nelson said 15Hz (3:12)???
@Operation - LOL! I think that was Steve having an involuntary, indistinct vocalization triggered by the thought of a system which can peak at 15Hz.
Is Steve McCormack well known in the industry? I own one of his amps. The Pass Labs were always known for very high quality builds.
Steve who? Naw man, (sidles sideways to hide his Mod Squad gear from view) dunno who you're talking about...
I read that Nelson Pass thinks a damping factor over 2,000 is too much. Why does he think this?
anyone knows what speakers are in the background, thanks!
Oddly I feel what’s missing is a reaction to how these systems sound. Even if the YT compression interferes. Steve, why not give a real time impression?
I think you just have to be there in person to get an accurate understanding. I seek out reviews like that where people have attempted to record their amp and speakers to show the differences, but at the end of the day I'm still listening to their video through my dac, amp, and headphones when I"m using youtube. A lot of times you're hearing a lot of quirks of their particular room as well, so it just doesn't work accurately. It frustrates me sometimes not being able to find a sound sample even though I know it's not accurate. I do think it's interesting when peoples' youtube videos of their systems sound better (well, or more preferable) to me than the source track.
What is the make of the speaker at the right of the video, the floorstanding?
Cue us into the speakers in Nelson's system behind him, please?
Those are Pass SR-1's www.passlabs.com/amplifier/sr-1
Couldn’t you have made the interview longer?
Robert Bashaw three more interviews to go, one each Saturday.
So at 15 hrtz emegin how low the frequency would have been to crumble the wall of Jericho....because I believe bass is more destructive then treble. .....your input please would love to hear your thoughts if you believe in the salm
Of the testament.
Good words on "accurate" system. I think accurate is impossible to determine. I shoot for plausible.
I use gain clones and electronic x-overs with good speakers.