Kitty- Checkout Michael Percy Audio at (415) 669-7181 for passive components and kits, and active kits for the DIY. I've used both types in my audio past, but always end up back with active (tube) pre-amps. However, the cost of a great tube pre-amp can be rather high even if you build it yourself. Keep in mind, the passive approach is limited by the length of cables, the output impedance of the sources and the input impedance of the amp(s). Goodluck.
