Placette Audio Volume Control

I had the Placette in my system for over a year and found it to be everything it claims to be, transparent with no sound signature of it's own. I was so impressed with it that I went to a Placette Linestage. Guy Hammell of Placette is very knowledgeable, easy to work with and he will give you a 30 day audition period with full price upgrade to a linestage. I believe there is a review on it at www.soundstage.com and The Absolute Sound has reviewed both the remote and the linestage in the past. I have used both the remote and linestage with tube and solidstate amplification with similar results. Good luck.

I have the line stage, which is active in the sense of being fully buffered but does not have added gain. Not the best for ergonomics, but sonically it is as everyone has said. When I first put it in my system, the word that kept coming to mind was "truth." Worth an audition.

i also have the placette, but mine is the 3 input version with the 256 step upgrade. believe me when i say this, there is nothing better in the passive sense if that is what you are looking for. total transparency, no sonic signature, just music.

There is a very slight sonic signature, like an added sparkle to the sound, but much less sonic signature than any other preamp I have ever heard. The Remote Volume Control is a steal. Fantastic value, and yet still has some of the lack of drive that you get with any passive pre. I don't say this to criticise it, so much as point out that you should not kid yourself there isn't a compromise involved. If all I had to spend on a preamp was the price of a Placette Remote Volume Control, then that is what I would buy. But you do get more if you buy the buffered version - the only preamp to buy in its price range (if I can be so dogmatic) unless you want your preamp to add some sonic character of some kind.