Best preamp is no preamp: always true?

newerphile,

"I guess I am free to listen to any preamp then..."

Careful. A resistive passive can interact with interconnect cable capacitance to form a low-pass filter so one should evaluate the other components in the system.

Read this:
http://www.dact.com/html/passive_preamp.html
from the DACT commercial web site and also maybe use this:
http://www.dact.com/html/ac_calculator.html
their attenuation calculator.

There are other, less commercial, technical papers on passive preamps which will probably be revealed with a google search. I can't put my finger on them right now. Also, maybe try the DIY forum over at audio asylum.

From my experience, 3V is min for passive. I have 2V CD players and it just not enough gain

"From my experience, 3V is min for passive"

I pretty much agree with you, my experience as well.

Dave

Can you explain to me why you fell that 2V is not enough for passive if the amp has, for example, 0.4V input sensitivity? I trust your experience and will likely go active but that puzzles me a little.
Thanks

3V is almost double the volume of 2V. It sounds more normal while 2V sounded sleepy and slow and weak.
There are few CD players gives you 3V output but it all comes with $$$ price tag.
Meridian
Accuphase
Wadia

Not sure about others since I didn't measure them.