I agree with most of the above with a few exceptions. I agree that a passive pre-amp is difficult to implement, but not "always" bettered by an active. I have tried several different combinations and have found at least one that works. It requires the following 1) a front end designed to drive an amp directly 2) a very high quality passive stage 3) an amplifier with sufficient gain to make up for the lack of gain in the passive preamp. The recommendation of the Aesthetix units is right on the money. I am using the IO phono unit through a Placette passive preamp and it is very nice. However, the IO is specifically designed to have enough output to drive an amp so in that sense it could be considered a phono stage and active preamp in one. The statement about lack of balanced options is also incorrect, Placette offers a balanced version of their passive preamp.
Passive Stage preamp vs Active Stage Preamp
As you all probably know lots of integrated amp designs (solid state) exersise the passive preamp part design which are basicly either transformer or a high quality potentiometer and simple input circuitry.
Many of us know that most of the CD players have a sufficient enough output voltage to feed the power amp (from 1V upto 3V) Same thing with DACs. Analogue phonos are able to produce the same kind of outputs.
The input sensitivity of power amp <=500mV
For somehow I've been experimenting with loaned WADIA No 15 DAC with variable output that has just a passive potentiometer and connected a variable output directly to my Bryston 3b-st. The result was deeper soundstage and details vs. setup through Bryston 11b preamp. The only drawback was that the volume range is much smaller than with preamp.
Can anyone summarize all advantages and disadvantages in using passive preamps vs. active?
Does it make a sence to try a passive stage preamp in my current solid state setup which is Theta Data II -> EAD DSP700 ->...
and analogue J.A. Michell GyroDec -> Delphini phono ->...
and ending with Bryston 3b-st?
Also if such exists, describe an importance of using active stage in tube setup.(Impedance matching?)
Many of us know that most of the CD players have a sufficient enough output voltage to feed the power amp (from 1V upto 3V) Same thing with DACs. Analogue phonos are able to produce the same kind of outputs.
The input sensitivity of power amp <=500mV
For somehow I've been experimenting with loaned WADIA No 15 DAC with variable output that has just a passive potentiometer and connected a variable output directly to my Bryston 3b-st. The result was deeper soundstage and details vs. setup through Bryston 11b preamp. The only drawback was that the volume range is much smaller than with preamp.
Can anyone summarize all advantages and disadvantages in using passive preamps vs. active?
Does it make a sence to try a passive stage preamp in my current solid state setup which is Theta Data II -> EAD DSP700 ->...
and analogue J.A. Michell GyroDec -> Delphini phono ->...
and ending with Bryston 3b-st?
Also if such exists, describe an importance of using active stage in tube setup.(Impedance matching?)