Pass Labs is a high-end-audio company based in Auburn, California, United States founded by Nelson Pass, a well-known figure in the high-end audio community. The company was founded in 1991. Pass founded, and worked at, audio company Threshold, where he developed the Stasis series of amplifiers. These designs were later licensed to

Nakamichi is a Japanese consumer electronics brand that originated in Japan and gained a name from the 1970s onwards for innovative and high quality audio cassette decks. Nakamichi is a subsidiary of Chinese holding company Nimble Holdings. Nakamich ...

. The Pass labs Aleph series of amplifiers operated pure class A and contained internal circuitry using MOSFETs. The Aleph amplifiers had a unique appearance, a cube with

heat sink A heat sink (also commonly spelled heatsink) is a passive heat exchanger that transfers the heat generated by an electronic or a mechanical device to a fluid medium, often air or a liquid coolant, where it is dissipated away from the device, th ...

s on all four sides, a practical solution to the heat generated by the class-A design. After the Aleph series of amplifiers was discontinued, a separate entity Volksamp was licensed to continue to produce a similar product. Aleph 30 and 60 Amplifiers were made by Volksamp until production ceased in 2003. Manufacture of the Aleph series of amplifiers is to be continued by First Watt, an amplifier company founded by Nelson Pass in 2004. First Watt initially produced power trans-conductance amplifiers (or technically a power current source). These current domain amplifiers are only suitable for use with certain types of speakers. With respect to the Aleph amplifier line, First Watt has announced plans for the Aleph J, a revision of the famous Pass Labs Aleph 3/Volksamp Aleph 30 wherein a new

JFET The junction-gate field-effect transistor (JFET) is one of the simplest types of field-effect transistor. JFETs are three-terminal semiconductor devices that can be used as electronically controlled switches or resistors, or to build amplifier ...

input stage is to be added. Today Pass Labs makes amplifiers, preamplifier and speakers. Pass Labs is also a supporter of the DIY audio community and maintains an internet presence for this purpose. Current Pass Labs "X" series amplifiers use a distortion canceling

balanced audio Balanced audio is a method of interconnecting audio equipment using balanced interfaces. This type of connection is very important in sound recording and production because it allows the use of long cables while reducing susceptibility to external ...

signal circuit.US Patent 5,376,899

References

External links

First Watt website

Pass Labs website
Audio amplifier manufacturers Audio equipment manufacturers of the United States Manufacturing companies based in California 1991 establishments in California Electronics companies established in 1991 {{tech-company-stub