Placette linestage vs. Adcom 750 passive

What is being compared here, the Placette remote volume control (passive) or the Placette active linestage (unity gain, but it utilizes an active buffer stage). I own, though I no longer use, the Placette Active. In my system, the Active was more dynamic and musically engaging than the passive remote volume control.

I have used a Placette with Merlin's as well. It was a huge improvement over an audio research pre I had previous to it. Incredibly clean sound, very smooth. I now have a Joule but have kept the Placette as I couldn't part with it. the Joule may be a bit more euphonic but not as detailed. I enjoy them both. It's been a while since I had the placette in the system. I guess the real test that says it works in my system, is the I am looking forward to hearing it in the system again with a degree of excitement, it performed that well in certain ways.

Hello Rafael,

I never heard the Placette, although I was considering it while I was looking for a passive unit.

I really don't know what or why it is, but in my system the Promitheus C-core TVC sounds amazing. I'm running an all balanced system, and the C-core TVC is a true balanced design. I ordered my dual-box C-core TVC with two balanced inputs, one RCA input and two balanced outputs. I tried the RCA input first and I have to admit that it was not nearly as good as the balanced inputs. Again, I don't know why this is, but this TVC mates really well with the rest of my system as it is.

Also, this unit has responded extremely well to the cable updates I've introduced recently, which is a concern I had.

Best,

iSanchez

I have used the Placette RVC, Active, K&K SB102, and the Bent TAP with autoformer. The Placette Active was noticeably (it too very little time to notice) better than the RVC in my system, much better bass drive and control and I don't think it had much to do with impedance matching or sensitivity - my system is very passive friendly. The K&K for some reason simply did not have the dynamic drive of the Placette Active. The Bent Tap with autoformer (I suspect the K&K would be very similar to the Bent Tap with the SB 102 transformer)was the best of the lot in my system with the Placette Active a close second. Ultimatley, while I loved what all of these passives did not do (they all sounded very good, and certainly good values compared with comparable actives), at the end of the experimentation I always came back to an active tube linestage - they simply sound more like live music to me, and of the many I've tried the Dodd Battery preamp is the one that works best in my system (I also tried CAT, Joule, Lamm and ARC) - like passives, it is also off the grid making for exceptionally quiet S/N performance with a livelier performance that always seemed out of reach with passives. I do think that passives are a great alternative to much more expensive actives, but I think the end of the road will take you to a quality tube preamp.

I agree with you Pubul57 at the end of the road but for the $'s, especially second hand, at least in my system, the Placette RVC definitely took my system up a significant notch. BTW - I haven't heard the Dodd but suspect it is a great value and I appreciate the low totally black background that being off the grid brings. In fact, I think that is something I really liked about my placette vis-a-vis the Joule.