Passive/Active preamps: pros and cons....


New to preamps...what are the advantages/disadvantages of passive or active designs? I will be only connecting one source (CD) to the pre...any thoughts? passive/active switch like the highly reviewed Adcom piece? any others come to mind? Also...in an active design...how much emphasis does the pre have in regard to the main amp signal?
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Showing 1 response by ramses

HI.
I'VE USED THE PLACETTE PASSIVE, BENT AUDIO W/SILVER S&B TRANSFORMERS, EVS ATTENUATORS AND TWO ACTIVE PREAMPS, THE ARC SP 10 & FIRST SOUND DELUXE MKII.
BETWEEN THE TWO PASSIVES, THE BENT AUDIO PROVIDED FULL & IMPACTFUL BASS-THE PLACETTE WAS WHERE DID IT GO. THE PLACETTE WAS A LITTLE BETTER ON THE TOP END. THE BENT AUDIO WAS BETTER IN LAYERING.
WHEN COMRING THE BENT AUDIO TO THE FIRST SOUND, MOST AREAS WERE REMARKABLY CLOSE, DETAIL RETRIEVAL WAS BY FAR BETTER WITH THE BENT AUDIO. DETAILS THAT WERE OBSCURED BY THE FIRST SOUND WERE CLEARLY HEARD WITH THE BENT AUDIO.
I FELT BASS RESPONSE WAS EQUAL.
AT FIRST, I FELT THE BENT AUDIO WAS COMPRESSING THE SOUND,
SOMEWHAT RESTRICTING IT WHEN COMPARING TO THE FIRST SOUND, BUT LATER I REAILZED THAT THE FIRST SOUND HAD A FINE GRAIN RIDING ON THE SIGNAL THAT MADE IT SOUND MORE LIVELY (SOME WOULD CALL MORE DYNAMIC).
ALL COMPARISONS WERE MADE USING SAME RCA TYPE IC'S.
WHEN I WENT BALANCED, THERE WERE SMALL "BUT I WOULDN'T GO BACK TO RCA" IMPROVEMENTS.