Preamp recomendation

Though there groups of committed activists and pacifists, I will say that there are folks using passive that have made that choice coming from very expensive active line stages in the mid to high 4 figure range - for some, not active can beat a passive in the right system context (source - passive - cables - amp). I am a fairly committed pacifists at this point, for the past 3 years or so.

I use the $450 Lightspeed Attenuator, which I prefer to any of the resistor/TVC/AVC passives I have also tried - limit? one input / one output.

Does Lightspeed make a mono model that plugs directly into the amp(s), like the Endler or EVS attenuators? In my limited experience, doing away with that output cable offers a significant sonic benefit when going passive.

No. I think that question was raised in the Lightspeed thread, and it sounds to me that it cannot be done with LDR approach. The Endler/EVS approach is one for of passive I have not tried, though several users on the LSA thread have.

Hi Ghoeper,
No none of the pre's I mentioned have tone controls. I can give you some lower priced units with tone controls, but you lose remote. It seems to me some of the newer B&K units have remote, but they are mid fi. The units I mentioned are all very nice and would be at home in a high end system.

Thanks Timlub (and everyone) I'm thinking my system may not be high end enough to take advantage of the high quality of some of these recommendations. I suppose if I had really good stuff, properly matched, proper room treatments and perfect ears, (that's becoming more and more of an issue) than I would have no need for any tone controls. That's why I was hoping to find something with that capability, and substantially better than what I have.