RADAR is a price search engine. We link to the original listing — we never sell direct. Transactions happen on the source site.
First Watt J2 Power Amplifier Okay, F8 & Zu DW6 are sold now, next in line is the FirstWatt J2, one of the most popular and most refined designs from Nelson Pass, crafted in his personal laboratory outside of the mainstream Pass Labs production. This exact model comes rarely on the market. This is a solid-state amplifier delivering 25W into 8Ω and 13W into 4Ω. But don't be misled by the numbers—Nelson Pass prioritizes quality over quantity when it comes to power. His philosophy is to make the first watts count, ensuring exceptional musicality and purity. If you typically listen below 90dB, th
A$3,499 looks like a strong buy against the current used market, landing well below the A$3,932 25th percentile and far under the A$4,842 median.
That’s the kind of pricing that usually makes sense if you’ve been waiting for one of these to come up locally. This model is well regarded for its low-powered, highly resolving First Watt sound: articulate, spacious, and very natural through efficient speakers. If the amp is clean and complete, the upside is getting a cult-classic piece at a price that leaves room for resale protection, which is exactly where a buyer wants to be.
Independent perspective — not a price guarantee. Always verify condition, accessories and provenance before purchase.
First Watt emerged from the visionary mind of Nelson Pass, the renowned American audio engineer and founder of Pass Labs, in the early 2000s. Established as a boutique extension of his primary enterprise, it was conceived not as a conventional company but as a personal laboratory for experimental amplifier designs. Pass launched First Watt to delve into unconventional territories overlooked by mainstream hi-fi, drawing on his decades of expertise in single-ended triode and solid-state innovations, much like the legendary early Marantz and VFET amplifiers that inspired him.
The brand specializes exclusively in low-power Class A solid-state power amplifiers, typically delivering 10 to 25 watts per channel into 8 ohms—modest outputs by modern standards. Models like the SIT4, F1, and F7 employ zero-feedback topologies, JFETs, Static Induction Transistors (SITs), and even current-source architectures that prioritize purity over brute force. These handcrafted units eschew preamps, phono stages, or speakers, focusing instead on driving efficient, high-sensitivity loudspeakers with exceptional transparency and musicality.
First Watt commands a cult following among high-end audiophiles as a niche boutique icon, revered for its heretical yet revelatory sound that challenges voltage-source norms. Positioned at the pinnacle of purist amplification, its amplifiers—often priced around $4,000—appeal to discerning buyers seeking "a handful of quality watts" over high-power generality, cementing Pass's legacy in the vanguard of innovative, speaker-specific hi-fi.
See all First Watt listings on RADAR.
