Who is using passive preamps and why?

I tried passive preamps and 7 volt output CD players straight into power amps on numerous occasions and with several amplifier/speaker combinations and passive never sounds as good as a high quality preamp.

I believe there is a problem with a source component being required to drive the amplifier and thereby loading the power supply of the source. Active preamps are designed to drive the power amp, not the source.

I am not aware of one single amplifier manufacturer that designs a matching passive preamp to compliment their amplifiers.
If you want to select components, speakers and wire around a volume control it's ok with me. I prefer the sound of an active preamp because it sounds like music.

Herman, My previous statement "If you want to select components, speakers and wire around a volume control it's ok with me. I prefer the sound of an active preamp because it sounds like music".

And this is why there is a variety of equipment for sale.

I knew someone would come up with an amplifier manufacturer that makes a passive preamp. That's why I threw it out there and I'm not surprised it's Modjeski.

I did infact buy an amplifier with a passive gain control and it was the best amplifier I ever heard and still is. When Kron developed the Vaic tube he wasn't getting the results he expected, so, he went to a little amplifier builder in Italy called Mastersound to build and amp around the Vaic tube. The amplifier was named after the founder of that company, Caesar, and uses the 32V output tube. This amplifier makes all other amplifiers sound ordinary.

I also own a Manley Stingray which uses a similar design, but these amplifiers were designed this way.

Herman, Tvad, Phd, et al,

In a given system any active preamp of equal quality can be connected with good to excellent results.

With a passive attenuator there are many things to consider including:
1. What source will you use?
2. What speakers will you use?
3. What is the speaker impedance?
4. What is the speaker efficiency?
5. How loud do you listen?
6. How far do you sit from your speakers?

And the list goes on.

Herman, What would you rather have? A system that hardly plays above a whisper at full volume or a system that plays loud at 9 o'clock? To say the requirements for passive and active are equal can be misleading to the unsuspecting Audiogon member reading this forum.

At the end of my last statement I mentioned "and the list goes on". Meaning there are many more factors to consider, including impedances between source, passive and amp.

I don't know if you personally use a passive preamp or not, but let's do an experiment and say you do. Let's take your incredibly high efficiency speaker out of the equation and replace it with a medium to low efficiency speaker leaving everything else the same. Now what do you have?

I understand your confusion and the confusion of other inexperienced audiophiles like yourself that have not had the oppportunity to experience a wide variety of equipment over the years of being involved in this hobby and learning from the ground up so to speak.

This forum is a great place to help one another with an accumulation of experience in a helpful manor without rude or condescending behavior so we all can learn and enjoy this hobby together.

Happy listening.

Pubul57, I thought this thread was closed a long time ago and here you are still carrying one.

Maybe dynamics can suffer because of what I said in my very first statement here. The source is not designed to drive anything. The source signal is designed to flow freely with it's signal boosted by the preamp.

I think of it as an amplifier driving a difficult speaker load. The sound of the amplifier is compromised opposed to the same amplifier driving a very easy load. Now it sounds better in every way.

Do manufacturers of passive preamps and attenuators assist in matching?