The Active does not have any added gain unless you order it that way. Guy can probably modify your passives (or an Active) to have more attenuation.
Active Placette pre sound better than Passive?
I have two Passive Placette Preamps controlling Khorns and LaScalas. I need an additional 20dB attenuation to bring the Passives into listenable range, because the horns are so powerful. I don't need the Active Preamp for any boost, but the main point is does it sound significantly better than the Passive Preamp?