Placette RVC review in Stereophile

Even though it was a very short review, the author was clearly more than just impressed with the performance of the simple volume control. He admitted he was stunned to the point of completely rethinking his listening priorities.

Like BD, I also found replacing an active linestage with the Placette (Passive Linestage) had the most profound impact on sound quality in my system. I can run directly from the CDP, with a manual volume control, to the amp, but there is still a significant improvement with the Placette in the chain providing a more three dimensional sound. The added convenience of a remote control with zero sonic degradation is another bonus.

Placette does not advertise very much if they do at all. Getting even a couple of pages in Stereophile can mean a lot to a small company. Maybe BD will have a more detailed review since he plans to test the Passive and Active linestages soon.

Drubin: I was aware of the review in TAS of the Active Linestage Preamp from the Placette website, but I do not subscribe to that magazine or know if Placette advertises there. I'll phone a friend who does subscribe.

Looking through every issue of Stereophile for more than a year, since April 2003, I see a total of zero ads placed by Placette Audio. I have subscribed to Stereophile for a number of years, but may have missed these full page ads you refer to. Another bonus of dealing with a small company like Placette is the chief technician, sales, customer service, and owner all have the same number and, last time I called, he answered the phone. I will give Guy Hammel a call and find out where he does advertise.
Placette Audio

Drubin: I see the symbiosis between magazine and manufacturer as a good service to audiophiles for the most part. The magazine needs gear to review and sell advertising at the same time the manufacturer needs the publication to inform the consumer of their products.

Although it is easy to be cynical of an editor's or reviewer's motives when giving the nod to a component, there is a trust built over the years between a reviewer and the readers. It just so happens that Brian Damkroger, the reviewer of the Placette RVC for Stereophile, has also reviewed the same speakers and cables I owned. The first review was of the speakers and he put into words what I had found to be true about them for months. Next he did a review of the cables I am still using which served as a good validation for my purchase decision. Now comes the Placette RVC review. If I did not already own the Passive, which is the identical volume control coupled with additional switchable inputs, and since he wrote the review, it would have caught my attention as something to consider buying.

One of the advantages a professional reviewer has is the opportunity to hear almost anything out there and a wider basis of comparison. Most amateurs are not able audition a wide variety of gear. A forum like this can be manipulated by amateurs, manufacturers, and dealers alike, with no accountability, in an attempt to create a market for a certain component or accessory. With that in mind, your guarded cynicism is a good thing and looking to other sources of information helps us find our way through the maze.