Modern Linestages

When looking at the manufacturers costs to build a preamp lets be sure we understand that "audiophile" capacitors and other components like transformers, chokes, etc. should be based on wholesale, not retail costs. What I pay for a capacitor as a consumer is not necessarily what I pay for them as a manufacturer. Don't forget to add labor into the equation as well. Someone has to be paid to put it all together.

Other than that I think Knghifi nailed it. Simple circuit or not manufacturers will charge what the market dictates.

It's the increasing complexity of the products that seems to be driving the cost upwards. Implicit in my comments is a belief that linestages really shouldn't be that complex a device.

I don't necessarily think it's the increasing complexity of the products that drives the cost up. After all an Audio Consulting Silver Rock is at minimum $13k, and no one is going to convince me the passive Silver Rock is a complex linestage.

However, I'm in complete agreement with the second sentence. It's the reason I now favor passive linestages. To me simpler is better and passive linestages are among the simplest designs. In comparisons I've done with my Slagle autoformer and Lightspeed attenuator (which I have compared to the Silver Rock), both hold up very well against more complex and/or costlier designs.

Let's just say several on that thread left no room for such reasoning and maintain a passive under ideal circumstances is the gold standard - period. No room to think different.

I think you're being a bit unreasonable with this statement Bill. Sure your opinions were questioned and judgements refuted. That happens in these forums. IIRC there was a robust discussion of the philosophical meaning of "true to the source" and it was clear your definition was different than than majority, but there were others in your camp as well.

I'd venture to say that all of us on the thread you referenced have started out our audiophile lives with active preamps. Some of us have had many come in and out of our systems. That some of us now prefer passive preamps for their simplicity and sound comes from our own comparisons and formulation of opinions. Our convictions were just as passionate in regards to what we prefer (and what is our gold standard) as are yours when it comes to discussing your Dude preamp, your preferences, and your gold standard. When you spoke of no room for reasoning, if that is truly what you felt then I'd say it cut both ways. As you stated yourself, you took your ball home, nobody forced you too.

Getting back to this topic, Unsound said it best. If you believe in simplicity one might consider building their system to maximize the potential to use a passive preamp. It's really not that hard to do and certainly cheap enough to try. Whether its the sound your prefer is another matter altogether.

I believe the direct and or passive approach is`nt fully accurate as it`s not capable of passing all the information within the signal passage.

How so?

Its my opinion that its a Bad Idea to use synergies, for example using a dark preamp to go with a bright source. What you wind up with is additional distortions and you can't get it to sound like real music.

You also wind up flushing huge amounts of $$$ down the loo.

Thanks Ralph, I wish I could have expressed my thoughts as coherently as you just did.