Passive vs. active preamps

I have tended to follow "conventional wisdom" in my system set up in that I have used mono block amps with very short runs of speaker cable (4-5 feet) which requires the use of relatively long runs of interconecting cable (5-7 meters). The need to drive long runs of interconnecting cables makes passive preamps a concern to me in that I have been advised that passive preamps do not do a particularly great job of driving long runs of interconnects (more than 3 meters). Because this limitation has been a concern for me I have stayed away from passive preamps. Obviously your system may be different, but for me, in order to get the best out of a digital source, an active, balanced preamp is best.

I too have monoblock amps. I also have a passive pre-amp. I have read on Nordost's home page that you should use short interconnects and long speaker cables. Their reasoning being that the speaker cables carry much higher power. This of course contradicts the monoblock setup convention. I have also heard that longer speaker cables sound better. So many opinions... I have not yet purchased good cables. I would prefer to keep the monoblocks on the side of the room rather than next to the speakers. I will be purchasing nordost cables and interconnects. John

I have had a passive preamp for the past six years, and I have to tell you that they are very transparent. BUT, after a point I felt that they are also a flat and lacking that 3D quality the real music has. I have just purchased an Audible Illusions Modulus 3A with all the latest upgrades and for the first time in 6 years love the way my system sounds. Good Luck.

If you already have an active preamp that you're very happy with, then there's no harm in building a passive one, especially if you can do it on the cheap. I don't expect that you'll discover anything about passives that isn't already known, however. IF YOUR SYSTEM IS ALREADY TOO DYNAMIC (if that's possible), then a passive preamp might "tame" this. It will very likely sound more "transparent" than most affordable active preamps, and if "detail retrieval" is what you want more than "realistic dynamics", then GO FOR IT...I'm a firm believer in active preamps.