Pass Labs X2.5 - vs. - Placette Active Preamps

An Active Placette unit can be purchased with a complementary design to support XLR/Balanced connection from input to output.

Dre

I would love to hear comparisons between a balanced active and a single ended active Placette. I am convinced that balanced would be better, but man, a balanced active Placette is mega bucks!

Guy of Placette is against balanced esp in the active version. From what I understand in normal applications he is right. There are benefits to both.

I think my less than wonderful experience with the Placette active had to do with the fact that this preamp has no gain.

As a result, the dynamics and bass were squashed and I believe that is what led to the overall unbalanced and rather lifeless and lean presentation.

But the highs were to die for and if there were a way for Placette to maintain the overall balance (to match the highs), it truly could be the best preamp going.

-IMO

The Plactte Active (I owned one of the very few fully balanced versions) is truely one of the best preamps I have ever heard (It may be the best, but I do not have enough expereience comparing it to every unit on the planet to make that claim). It is better then the passive in every way. I will admit it probably does take some system matching. It is as transparent as they come, or at least as transparent as have heard. I did not have the issues with dynamics that others seem to have had. If I did not have a built in pre-amp in the DCC2, I would probably go back to the placette active. I hope that helps