so iconic – the only thing it can be compared to is the monolith

circa 1997 – these are perhaps one of the top 10 best solid state mosfet amps money can buy – they are just under 12″x12″x11″ and weigh just under 60lbs each. each monoblock is rated for a power output of 100W into 8 ohms and 200W into 4 ohms, surely enough for any domestic use. amazing sounding as nelson pass said “one of my favorite sounds i’ve ever made”.

the steel heat sinks on all four sides of each amp disperse the incredible heat – as these babies run very hot!! you literally can fry an egg on top after a few hours of listening. that is not an exaggeration.

pass aleph IIs are absolutely neutral, no coloration can be perceived. the sound is full, round, stable, and deep. the bass is very good, maybe promoting articulation and detail… almost a to a raw violence, but for my tastes i cannot imagine anything better. it has neutrality, or should i say naturality, and precision… you are led to forget about the amplifier, to undervalue it, but as soon as you listen back to another one, you realize how superior this one really is…

beautiful from any angle

effectively, i feel it’s pretty strange to see such characteristics married to a sonority that, while being vaguely tube-like, has mostly a heritage of the positive aspects of solid state, plus that little something, so difficult to articulate, that always distinguish a solid state gear from a valved one – i’d be tempted to call it grain, but i’d be wrong, because we can’t hear any grain here, and the sound watermark is perfect… even female voices are rendered with excellent homogeneity and flow, that can be compared to those coming from a tube gear – yet, distinct from it, in some ways. maybe the definitive difference is in the control and the precision, both better than what can be found in the classic tube world.

 

pass laboratories aleph II monoblock amplifier owners manual

almost 60 pounds (27kg) each – the front view of the aleph II mono block

don’t even think of trying to lift these amps without some thick gloves and at least one burly friend. there’s no way to avoid gripping the heatsink fins, which feel like dull knives on bare flesh. at 130 lbs each, these are certainly not “one-person” amps.

balanced outputs + 5 way binding post – back of the aleph II mono block

i love these amps and i will probably keep them to the day i die and then pass it one to another care taker. thank you nelson for creating these beautiful monsters. by uh