active or passive preamp for active speakers

thanks for the responses.

i guess i don't understand the purpose of the preamp. since my active speakers don't have volume control, it seems the only thing i need a 'preamp' for is volume control, assuming at least that the signal coming for the cd player is strong enough. and if i hook a tuner up too, then it would need to switch between sources.

so why not a passive preamp to do those simple jobs?

thanks again for the responses.

almarg, i really appreciate your detailed reply. based on your reply i think it's safest to go with a non-passive preamp, especially if i want to use it in a different system down the line.

now over to the preamp 'for sale' section...