I run systems with both active and passive preamps. What works best depends on synergy with the amp, as other posters have emphasized. Categorical statements about which is better don’t really apply. If your amp is friendly enough to passives (and as others have pointed out, a search of these pages would educate you on how to determine this), then you have choices of topology. The three main ones are resistor, transformer, and autoformer. I’ve played with excellent examples of all three and the autoformer-based passive from Bent Audio is my personal favorite. YMMV. The only way to know is dig in, research, and experiment. Bent is no longer in business, btw, but used ones do come up.
Passive preamp
Hello. I wanted to learn more about running a preamp in passive mode versus active mode. Am I correct in thinking that passive mode means it is not altering the audio signal? My question relates to a Schiit Frida s that I am using in passive mode, using it essentially as a switching device. Am I missing anything?.