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In Reply to: RE: +1 Agree with everything you said...... posted by Ozzy on April 22, 2024 at 10:06:51:
The only big advantage of a passive preamp IMHO is extreme transparency but other aspects may suffer including frequency response (especially down low) and dynamics. Many passive systems suffer from less than great dynamics and some can sound a little 'thin' or 'lean'.The passives in my life:
- Placette Passive
- McCormack TLC-1
- Adcom GFA-750
- Creek OBH-12
- Schiit Freya+
- Schiit KaraThe Placette was most transparent and convenient of the passives that I've owned. It has 128 discrete volume steps using relay switched precision Vishay resistors and a row of LEDs to show relative Volume Level (in binary number format!). In a 'just right' setup this passive can sound fantastic but in others not so much.
The McCormack TLC-1 was 'thin' sounding in passive mode. It has a unity gain FET buffer that can be switched-in but that caused a noticeable 'veil' compared to passive mode. So the choice really came down to super transparent but thin sounding or slightly veiled with better dynamics.
The Adcom GFA-750 was surprisingly good in both passive and active mode but I preferred it in active mode for a more 'robust' sound and better dynamics.
Creek OBH-12. Don't laugh. That little Volume Pot based passive wasn't bad but I used it in a pinch when I was between preamps.
Schiit Freya+ and the Schiit Kara can both be operated in pure passive mode with their remote controlled discrete resistor switched attenuator. Some like these in passive mode. I preferred them in active mode.
My best sounding Passive setup and why:
Why was this setup passive friendly? Because Cary players are known for their 'hot' and robust output signal meaning their output voltage is higher than the norm AND Cary are also known for being full-bodied, warm, and robust sounding - more so than some others. This will compensate for some shortcomings in passive preamps. The amp also required little drive for full-power output and my speakers were somewhat sensitive so they didn't require a lot of power to play very loud. In other words, I was never toward the high end of the volume range on the passive preamp and had lots of 'head room' to go before pegging the volume control to max. I've had the same Placette Passive in other systems too but it sounded a little polite and not to my liking.P.S. The most transparent active preamp I ever owned was the Benchmark LA4 (HPA4) which was right up their with the best passives yet didn't suffer from polite dynamics or light bass response, or the need for perfect system component matching.
Edits: 04/22/24 04/22/24
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Follow Ups
- The only big advantage I can see..... - AbeCollins 12:27:13 04/22/24 (8)
- RE: The only big advantage I can see..... - Ozzy 04:57:54 04/23/24 (3)
- RE: The only big advantage I can see..... - AbeCollins 18:53:19 04/23/24 (2)
- RE: The only big advantage I can see..... - Ozzy 02:57:37 04/25/24 (1)
- RE: The only big advantage I can see..... - AbeCollins 11:41:33 04/26/24 (0)
- Do you know anyone who has tried the Sonic Euphoria passive preamp? nt - alaskahiatt 23:17:15 04/22/24 (3)
- Yes, me. I've owned two different copies of the Line 1 - Feanor 04:05:11 04/28/24 (0)
- Yes...... - Ozzy 04:58:27 04/23/24 (1)
- Thank you very much. I may finally hook it up after our final move this summer. - alaskahiatt 10:51:16 04/23/24 (0)
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