Passive linestage preamplifiers with stepped attenuators are as good as megabuck active preamplifiers. In some cases the're even better. Most beginners don't even know that passive linestage preamps exist. I have never seen these gems in a high end audio store; you have to order them over the internet. The limitation is that they provide no linestage voltage gain as with active preamplifiers. If you have efficient speakers and don't use a phono source, then you don't need this voltage gain from expensive active preamplifiers.
For those who are just starting out, an ADCOM SLC-505 will do a fairly good job for about $100. The problem is that Adcom does not make this model anymore (stupid move). You will have to get one used (if you are lucky) at ebay. This model is cheap because it uses a potentiometer, not a stepped attenuator. You can get a high quality stepped attenuator volume control box for several hundred dollars at GOLDPOINT. None of the above have a remote control. At the top of the line is PLACETTE with a remote controlled stepped attenuator volume control box, or linestage preamplifier. For around a thousand dollars, you can have the clear, transparent, three dimensional sound of the name brands, but without the voltage gain that many audiophiles don't need anyway.
