I've had passives for ~10 years now. I keep trying pre-amps from CJ, Krell, ARC, Levinson, and others. Some are nice but a well made passive in my system is more open AND more dynamic than ANY of the active units.
I've come to the conclusion that if an active line stage is required then there is something wrong with the system, typically the source component. Case in point : My Pioneer DV-05 with its wimpy power supply sounds better working into my MF X-Can v2 as a preamp than it does working into the passive. There is some loss of detail but the bass is better and presentation is punchier & more involving. However, my Muse 9 Sig definately sounds better working into the passive.
The source components need to have low(under~200 ohm)output impedances AND be able to source some current into say a 2K ohm load.
Not all passives are the same. I've had the Adcom line controller, Line Drive, Line Drive Deluxe, & TLC-1. However, my Reference Line Premminances 1 & 2 are the best by far. Full of bloom, detail and shocking dynamics (actually, they let all of that stuff thru without editorial change). They are cheap too (~$600-800 on the net)which makes them a low cost/risk try out. I'd love to try the Adcom GP750.
I've driven a passively bi-amped settup with over 6 meters of combined cable length with no problem. Just don't use funky cables with funky boxes & stuff and make sure your amp(s) has about 26 DB or more of gain.
Good Luck
I've come to the conclusion that if an active line stage is required then there is something wrong with the system, typically the source component. Case in point : My Pioneer DV-05 with its wimpy power supply sounds better working into my MF X-Can v2 as a preamp than it does working into the passive. There is some loss of detail but the bass is better and presentation is punchier & more involving. However, my Muse 9 Sig definately sounds better working into the passive.
The source components need to have low(under~200 ohm)output impedances AND be able to source some current into say a 2K ohm load.
Not all passives are the same. I've had the Adcom line controller, Line Drive, Line Drive Deluxe, & TLC-1. However, my Reference Line Premminances 1 & 2 are the best by far. Full of bloom, detail and shocking dynamics (actually, they let all of that stuff thru without editorial change). They are cheap too (~$600-800 on the net)which makes them a low cost/risk try out. I'd love to try the Adcom GP750.
I've driven a passively bi-amped settup with over 6 meters of combined cable length with no problem. Just don't use funky cables with funky boxes & stuff and make sure your amp(s) has about 26 DB or more of gain.
Good Luck