Modern Linestages

Georgelofi, what you say in posting #51 does not prove the superiority of passive line stages.

I do not believe for one moment that EE laws are all there is to know. This is just another stage of the argument that ultimately can not be resolved. Without a test such as I propose, there is no resolution to this, other than for you to enjoy your passive device and for me to go with whatever sounds best to me.

I have never seen the merits of arguing the virtues of passive versus active line stages and have had many of each. Presently, I have a BMC DAC! PRE which is the BMC dac with a passive insert to use as a line stage. It has two RCA inputs and one balanced input and only a balanced output. This all works with their amps to allows what they call Current Injection Analog Signal Processing.

All that I can really say is that this passive unit in this innovative circuit sounds great. I hear no compressed dynamics nor none of the purity of sound both of which I associate with passive units. All that I can say is that the total system sound exceeds any that I have had heretofore.

Georgelofi, Why would you say, "A properly implemented passive comes closest to this," I don't know how you would ever prove this. The only proof that I can imagine would be for music going into passive and active units compared with that coming out and an assessment of differences.

I might also note that you imply generic differences but you add "properly implemented." How would we ever know this? I have had six passive units now over about a 30 year period. I only once had two at the same time and they sounded in many ways different. In fact I strongly believe that until my present BMC unit, those earlier unit shared only a sense of purity and a lack of dynamics or pace. Which was properly implemented? One was only a silver transformer with multiple taps.

Similarly, I have had many, many active units and have never hear two that sounded alike. Some manufacturers have gone to extremes in pursuit of "proper implimentation." Some sounded better than others, but generically none were as smooth as passive units and all were more dynamic.

We use this phrase "a straight wire with gain" and say a passive is very close. Despite this no two straight (why straight I have no idea) sound the same. So what we need is no wire with gain or an attenuator with no sound of its own.

Everything is priced at what the manufacturer thinks the market will bear as long as it is sufficiently above costs and a sufficient profit. If it doesn't sell either he lowers the price or goes out of business.

I think 5X parts and labor is the old retail price giving points to the retailer.

Charles1dad, I think it would be a communist who would say that capitalists are ripping off the consumers. Socialists merely want to use government to counter extreme capitalism and to provide services.

Under capitalism the buyer is expected to seek quality at the lowest cost. This may include pressing the dealer for the very lowest price. Similarly there is no such thing as an uber price. Rather there will be a high price that no one or few will pay and the manufacturer will either lower the price or cease production.