Passive Pre - No Regrets?

I was using a Joule Electra LA-100MkIII before moving to a passive TVC. THe TVC was built for me by Kevin Carter at K&K Audio using S&B TX-102 MkI transformers and Seiden switches. It is configured with dual volume and dual input selectors. It has 2 inputs and 2 outputs.

The Joule is a very musical and outstanding preamp. However, the passive TVC just matched up better with my high input sensitive solid state amp. I gained more accuracy, detail, and overall tonal balance with the K&K, at the expense of some mid range sweetmess and the musicality the Joule offered (which for a tube preamp is pretty neutral IMO). I don't regret the move, but I do miss the Joule.

I have never listened to the Placette, but have heard the Sonic Euphoria as that was on my list. The K&K is better IMO and has character (there is a liveliness to the presentation), which I think the Sonic Euphoria lacks (somewhat boring presentation, but accurate). I did listen to some resistor-based passives and prefer the TVC implementation. Again, more of a preference as I heard quite a few nice resistor-based passives. To me the TVC is easier to match up with amps and you don't necessarily have to worry about cable lengths.

I had a McCormack passive into my DNA .5 amp and loved it, but was missing the dynamics. I've moved to an Audio Prism Mantissa and haven't looked back.

Yes, a passive is very alluring, and can be really great paired with the correct equipment, but it doesn't always work everywhere. However, trying to keep that level of detail and transparency and clarity is VERY hard to find in an active linestage. Be careful what you wish for, you may get it.

Enjoy,
Bob

Pubul57,

I too use CAT amps (JL-1s), and had used them with active preamps such as the Thor TA-2000, the BAT VK-5i, and the CAT SL-1 Signature. (I also own Merlin VSM-Ms, so I am pretty familiar with your equipment). I switched to passives maybe four or 5 years ago, starting with the Audio Synthesis Passion (a great little passive line stage), to the Placette, and ultimately to the Audio Consulting Silver Rock TVC. Like the posters before me, I was extremely pleased with the switch, and also highly recommend you give a passive line stage a shot in your system. Indeed, no active preamp has provided the level of transparency or resolution that I have gotten with the Silver Rock.

I would pose two caveats, however. First, make sure that you try a passive line stage with dual outputs (i.e., one for the CAT JL-2, and one for the BAM) - I was not as pleased with the result when using an RCA adapter after the passive to split the output into two lines. Second, I was not as impressed with the Placette passive in my system as other passives that I tried (however, given that others have had more success with the Placette, take this caveat with a grain of salt).

I know you don't want to hear it, but I have tried five passive units over the last ten years. In each case, I gave up and went back to active units to get back the pace and dynamics of music.

I grant that there is a purity to passive units, but I cannot take them for very long.

I had a transformer based passive for a while, (Bent Audio TVC)..."extreamly good sound" untill I made many system changes, ie...amp, speakers, and new (much larger) room. This caused my move back to an active preamp a couple of years ago.

I'm now using a tubed preamp (Audioprism Mantissa)...like Bob above, I'm "more" than happy with the Mantissa preamp I now have in place of the passive.

So, in answer to your "regrets" question...I had no regrets going passive...and no regrets (now), after going back to active

Dave