Should I eliminate my preamp?

I do have a question regarding passives . The pot used in the SM Pro Nano patch I use I assume costs a few bucks . Would say a Alps volume pot have a different sound ? I would assume all passives should have a similar sound . Is there a way to alter the sound with a passive be it with different interconnects or like I mentioned different brands of pots?

@maplegrovemusic

The interconnect cable is going to make a bigger difference than the pot that is used. However, as the value of the pot used is increased, its quality becomes more audible. If using a 10K pot, the ALPs will work fine. You might want to run a nicer part if using a 100K part.

If your source is solid state, 10K is probably a safe value. If using tubes, check with the manufacturer, but often 50K will do the job.

Elf1: "Most" balanced outputs almost always double the output voltage.  This is a good thing. Eliminating your preamp, if the preamp is in good internal condition, will sometimes make the final sound leaner and thinner. I would invest in a comparable preamp with balanced connectors. I think u will hear an improvement in your sound, i.e., a fuller more gutsy  sound,  while having more diversification at the same time. 

Just to update my own experimentation...I found happiness with an ARC REF 3 linestage, but only after I replaced the tubes with a spare set of new Sovteks that came with it.  The existing tubes were well within their life-cycle, but I did noticed it had the SED Winged C 6550 in the power supply, and there has been some reporting that the original ARC Sovtek 6550 sounds better, so maybe that was the difference.  I notice some good prices on Ref 3's, so I'm passing on my experience.

It was an educational process.  I came to realize how important words are to me, and I get deep joy in hearing the nuance in how an artist delivers the words.  That was the attribute that was so hard to find in swapping equipment, and what was lost in my specific instance when using DAC-direct or the solid state linestage that I tried.

Someone like Joni Mitchell can sound exceeding pure on many systems, but I can now hear how flawed she is, which let's me rejoice in her brilliance and humanness.  Of course, someone like Dylan can be endlessly appreciated in his voicing, inflection and phrasing, and my audiophile satisfaction is directly related to the degree to which it is revealed as a human voice in the room.

So the hunt for what a linestage can do was rewarding and recommended.

Cheers!

marqmike529 posts04-09-2018 1:20amThat is real possible. Thanks

If you look at it technically, the VH 1st interconnect has not only capacitance, but resistance (very little, except for the Carbon they once had) and also inductance.
These three parameters "capacitance, resistance and inductance" are the three component (parameters)  that make up for the "crossover filters"  in speakers.
And by halving the length of your VH 1st to 1/2mt you've changed all three parameters from what they were at 1mt.

This could be the difference you heard??

Cheers George 

I went from a tube pre to a passive to a direct connection.  The passive had more detail than the tube pre but sucked the life out of my system.  When I eliminated the passive (and the additional interconnect) the direct connection maintained the detail of the passive but had much greater dynamics and it was as though I removed multiple blankets from the front of my speakers.  I then changed my interconnects to unshielded and the sound further improved.  My tech recommended a "current amp" (actually a 0 gain custom built active preamp) - haven't tried it and not sure what that is...