When the passive + amp combo sounds thin, it's usually a matter, either of a) impedance (signal transfer b/ween pre+amp) OR b) upstream component.
In your case it's probably the cdp. I've heard it and it sounded to me more or less as you described it.
OTOH, I would hardly expect that engineers at adcom know nothing about circuit analysis and therefore can't choose a volume pot (the passive) that bridges with their own amps!
Kotta's suggestion for solid core is also good BUT ONLY if you live in a relative quiet environment, free from stray fields (otherwise you just could send the system into oscillation)!
In your case it's probably the cdp. I've heard it and it sounded to me more or less as you described it.
OTOH, I would hardly expect that engineers at adcom know nothing about circuit analysis and therefore can't choose a volume pot (the passive) that bridges with their own amps!
Kotta's suggestion for solid core is also good BUT ONLY if you live in a relative quiet environment, free from stray fields (otherwise you just could send the system into oscillation)!