aesthetix rhea with passive volume control

If you haven't bought anything yet, maybe consider a Janus.

Yes, when I had mine, I ran it through a passive. I now use the IO and still have no issues with a passive. The guy I sold my Rhea to sold his active after hearing my passive with the Rhea in his system.

That said, how well a passive will work for you is system dependent and have to be matched well for it to work. When done right, it's hard to beat a passive.

If you have a stand alone phone stage now or know someone in your area that does, why not buy a cheap passive & try it. That's one way to know for sure.

Thanks for the response.