With passive controls you want the control to be as high as possible to prevent coloration from the control and cables.
Most CD players do indeed have too much output (as in- way more than is needed to clip any amplifier), and frankly, most fixed attenuators do a terrible job reducing that output. However 30 db is far too much gain in a line stage- to the point that one might ask what the preamp manufacturer was thinking!
As a first step I would contact the preamp manufacturer and see if the gain can be reduced. I would do the same with the CD player manufacturer- they will not come to their senses unless somebody says something!
As opposed to passives as I am, in this case a good quality TVC would seem to me to be one of the better solutions- you have some attenuation ability and less coloration than most PVCs. OTOH, you might look into an active preamp that has a more reasonable amount of gain- 15 db is far more typical.
Most CD players do indeed have too much output (as in- way more than is needed to clip any amplifier), and frankly, most fixed attenuators do a terrible job reducing that output. However 30 db is far too much gain in a line stage- to the point that one might ask what the preamp manufacturer was thinking!
As a first step I would contact the preamp manufacturer and see if the gain can be reduced. I would do the same with the CD player manufacturer- they will not come to their senses unless somebody says something!
As opposed to passives as I am, in this case a good quality TVC would seem to me to be one of the better solutions- you have some attenuation ability and less coloration than most PVCs. OTOH, you might look into an active preamp that has a more reasonable amount of gain- 15 db is far more typical.