IME this always comes down to cables. I used to know this guy named Robert Fulton who, more than anyone else in the world, founded the high end audio cable industry. He had his special RCA cable that sounded better than the average Radio Shack cable at the time. It was a bit of a revelation...
Here we are 43 years later and cables are still a thing. When you run passive controls you are more subject to the coloration of cables. But there was a tech that was developed to eliminate cable colorations. That is the balanced line system, which has a set of standards that have to be met.
Most manufacturers in high end audio ignore those standards. So we have audible differences in balanced cables too- sparking the question of whether balanced line cables are even better at all. If the standards were being met this would not be a question! But to meet them, you'll need an active preamp to drive them. You can't do it properly with any passive volume device made.
Here we are 43 years later and cables are still a thing. When you run passive controls you are more subject to the coloration of cables. But there was a tech that was developed to eliminate cable colorations. That is the balanced line system, which has a set of standards that have to be met.
Most manufacturers in high end audio ignore those standards. So we have audible differences in balanced cables too- sparking the question of whether balanced line cables are even better at all. If the standards were being met this would not be a question! But to meet them, you'll need an active preamp to drive them. You can't do it properly with any passive volume device made.