Is Preamp overkill for me?

You might consider the Luminous Audio Axiom passive pre. At $150, it's quite inexpensive, you'll get a 30day money back, and the designer will customize it to fully drive your amp.

Check this out ---

http://www.placetteaudio.com/remote_control.htm

I second Rsbeck's suggestion of looking at Placette. If you are interested in purchasing new, Placette offers an in-system trial, so you can try it in your system, and if you don't like it, return it.

Or you can get the basic RVC (since you only have a single source) here on A-gon for pretty decent price.

I've got a Placette passive pre that I use with a Wadia 861. Very transparent, very nice.

My 2 cents worth.

Proper impedance matching and making sure there's enough current available for good dynamics seem to be the two things an active preamp is most useful for. I've used a transformer based passive for about a year, and have been very happy with it. I just got a Morrison ELAD, which is a quite inexpensive ($780), well-made active preamp with two inputs and two outputs. It has dual volume controls and a very nice separate power supply, but no other features. My early experience with it in my single-source system is insanely positive.

Under your single source circumstances, it may be possible to get a CDP with analog volume control or power amp with level controls.

Get Adcom GFP750 and there you'll at least know what you realy want since it could work in active and passive modes.

Try the Sonic Euphoria that the dealer offers here on Agon, I think with a trial period too. It was sweeter then the Placette audio passiver preamp with better bass. With a passive you have to make sure it mates well with your amp. The SE was a real bargin when I tried it and I would have bought one if I did not already have a very expensive tube preamp that really was not much better, so try it for the price.

Happy Listening.

Modwright SWL 9.0 hybrid linestage. Very high quality, incredibly transparent.

If your going to be buying an amp anyway (sounds like you are), then just buy one that mates well with a PVC...their are tons of them.

I used a Bent Audio passive for around a year in one of my systems and it was outstanding in every way...of course it should have been because the system components all had good specs. for passive use.

A good passive setup can equal and even better a good tubed preamp in midrange quality...

Dave

Get a Django transformer volume control. There are two versions, one based on amorphous core transformers and one based on Stevens & Billington transformers. There's a listing here. I have no association with the sellers. But I own one. It is the most surprising piece of audio equipment I've encountered in 30 years of audiophilia. It's hard to go back to ANY active preamp once you've spent time with one of these and after the transformers are run-in. It also includes a +6db gain option if your source output is a little low for the input sensitivity of your power amp. It works especially well with high input impedance tube amps but for all the worrying about lower input impedance sand amps, I've found it to work great there too.

The Django TVC will give you better low level dynamics and detail retrieval than directly driving you power amp with a source.

Phil