Preamps, Whats the difference, Active & Passive ?


Ok, so I'm a bit uninformed when it comes to this.

Is it that an active pre has bass and trebble controlls and a passive does not?

I lurk here in audiogon and read all that I can when I have questions.As a last resort I ask a question.

Is there an encyclopedia of audio terns somewhere on the web that I can access?
tweakster
So what are some examples of an active pre that will work well with dynamic rock and roll?

Keep it in mind that I am looking more at tube preamps.

Please look at my first thread entitled

Best used Red Book Player for Rock-N-Roll, before you answer.

Some people consider the Beach Boys or the Stones rock-n-roll.Ok, they are.I agree, but that just isn't what I listen to.
Just a thought here about the endless debate over whether to go active or passive. I have found that even a cheap creek passive can sound great in the right system and that a $1,000.00 placette can sound bad in a missmatch situation. I have just a comment though about where one should locate a passive. I say as close to the amp as possable. And on the amp if they allow like Art Audio. All of Art Audio amps sound great with their included passive volume pots I believe because this kind of setup has no cable length after the volume pot. When you have an interconnect after the passive, no matter how long, there starts to be a problem driving that cable. So make these cables absolutly as short as possable.
If a Placette doesn't work then maybe a transformer based (Bent) passive would be a better match.
I have a Bent 102MkII passive that passes signals from my source components to a McCormack amp. I will agree that passives are system dependent (what ain't?). In my system, talk of dynamic loss, thin sound, weak bass, etc. is just that, talk, and what I am glad NOT to be hearing when I spin a disc on the platter.