Looking for a simple but exquisite front end

weare an Atc dealer with actives on display

we recomend an naim uniti tom he

you get a balanced preamp a dac and streamer and even a headphone amplifier

Naim gear sounds great is well made and as a fantastic app.

dave and Troy

audio intellect NJ

atc and Naim dealers

If you do go with the Naim, make sure to get the new Uniti 2.

@OP - Passive preamps - in effect a volume pot  in a box - are as rare as hen's teeth. Even buffered passives, which are part active are rare,  so you have a wide range of active preamps to choose from.

The best approach is to find a good dealer and listen to a few alternatives in your price range.

No romance you need the Atom he which has balanced outputs none of the other units have a balanced output 

The Atom he = headphone edition

I have a regular Atom… has been excellent for 6 years but recently bricked and service for North America goes to Canada… slow but works… eventually.

the Atom he also has functionality the OP might not need, so consider preamp / streamers..of which there are a bunch….