My cost effective recommendation for CD only system is to use analog output from your CD player or DAC directly into analog EVS Ultimate Attenuators fitted directly onto the amplifier RCA input jacks eliminating any extra interconnect between a passive preamp and amp. Tweakaudio.com customizes these for either transistor or tube amp. As stepped attenuators there is not the very fine adjustment of a continuous analog volume control, but transparency and dynamics are so outstanding that the retail list price of $350 is a bargain.
