Buffer amp no gain

+1 on the Schiit Saga with tube buffer, especially for inexpensive systems. It sounds better than it has any right to at the price! 
 

My Cary SLP-05 is more organic sounding, but for the price difference, it should!

What DAC and what is the output impedance?

What volume control and what is its resistance and attenuation type?

What amp and what is its input impedance?

Balanced or unbalanced?

What interconnects?

There is nothing that is ’transparent’. You are adding connectors and cables, along with circuitry, all of which color the sound.

I ran [self-designed] passives for years, both in the studio and at home. I only went with active control when I tri-amped.

Looking at pictures of the inside of the First Watt B1.  Just Bypass, jump the volume controls with one wire on each pot.

I am another that is confused.  I am understanding that you would like to plug your turntable (phono) into this the First Watt B1. Outputs to your passive volume control.  Which feeds your power amplifier?  Question.  Where is the RIAA de-emphasis accomplished?  Output of a Moving Magnet cartridge is about 4 millivolts.  That is not enough to drive a power amp.

Ohhhh wait.  You don't have one of those turntables that has a built in preamplifier (taking care of the gain increase and RIAA) and maybe even USB outputs, do you?  The buffering you are looking for should be in that preamplifier.

Ummmmm.....

Sorry Kingsleuy, but I never mentioned a turntable. I did talk about phone plugs (UK) which in America I think you call RCA plugs

Yeah, I actually had to read that twice in the original post before I caught on.  When he said "phone inputs" he was talking about what many would call an rca connector or an rca chassis mount socket.