Who is using passive preamps and why?

Just wanted to thank each and everyone that has posted here and it is quite possibly that the subject has been exhausted.

I think you have the makings of long-term satisfaction with your system and you can upgrade your music collection, enjoy.

It is all about system building and matching between components, to the point where it come sometimes be a little misleading to even say what a particular tube sounds like absent any information of the circuit it is used in, I know the Roger Modjeksi's EL34 sound is different the CJs EL34 sound, so your left with the question, what does an EL34 sound like, and answer of course is, "it depends".

So I've been listening to the Goldpoint for a few hours, and without comparing at the this point, I would say that for $2,300 to get a Goldpoint ($312) and a Music Reference RM10MKII ($1950) you could be pretty darn happy running a pair of Merlin VSMs. For $312, the Goldpoint, in the right system is "stupidgood". As good as the Joule or Atmasphere preamps (or the CAT I used to own?)? I don't know yet, but you would be surprised how darn good a $312 preamp can sound.

The Clio 9 is finished and in the system breaking in. Early returns are favorable. This design requires a bit more attention to impedance matching than other TVC designs, but the benefits are very easily heard.

Passive preamps? Simple, i like them because they give you excellent sound for less money.