Any component that preserves the full tone,harmonics, body, scale and dynamics that are so obvious with live music is closer to the truth.Most listeners 'long term' won`t be happy with a device that`s incapable of maitaining this vital signal information. How the attributes of fuller tone,saturation and dynamic vibrancy can be a "coloration" when their presence is so very obvious with live performances? It would seem the passive(or active in some cases) component is subtractive of the complete audio signal if it doesn`t maintain these mandatory and honest aspects of the music, this is why music has emotional power and involves us.If these nautral and intrinsic features of live music are not lost or diluted then the component is doing its job,be it active or passive.
Regards,