Pubul57,
I too use CAT amps (JL-1s), and had used them with active preamps such as the Thor TA-2000, the BAT VK-5i, and the CAT SL-1 Signature. (I also own Merlin VSM-Ms, so I am pretty familiar with your equipment). I switched to passives maybe four or 5 years ago, starting with the Audio Synthesis Passion (a great little passive line stage), to the Placette, and ultimately to the Audio Consulting Silver Rock TVC. Like the posters before me, I was extremely pleased with the switch, and also highly recommend you give a passive line stage a shot in your system. Indeed, no active preamp has provided the level of transparency or resolution that I have gotten with the Silver Rock.
I would pose two caveats, however. First, make sure that you try a passive line stage with dual outputs (i.e., one for the CAT JL-2, and one for the BAM) - I was not as pleased with the result when using an RCA adapter after the passive to split the output into two lines. Second, I was not as impressed with the Placette passive in my system as other passives that I tried (however, given that others have had more success with the Placette, take this caveat with a grain of salt).
I too use CAT amps (JL-1s), and had used them with active preamps such as the Thor TA-2000, the BAT VK-5i, and the CAT SL-1 Signature. (I also own Merlin VSM-Ms, so I am pretty familiar with your equipment). I switched to passives maybe four or 5 years ago, starting with the Audio Synthesis Passion (a great little passive line stage), to the Placette, and ultimately to the Audio Consulting Silver Rock TVC. Like the posters before me, I was extremely pleased with the switch, and also highly recommend you give a passive line stage a shot in your system. Indeed, no active preamp has provided the level of transparency or resolution that I have gotten with the Silver Rock.
I would pose two caveats, however. First, make sure that you try a passive line stage with dual outputs (i.e., one for the CAT JL-2, and one for the BAM) - I was not as pleased with the result when using an RCA adapter after the passive to split the output into two lines. Second, I was not as impressed with the Placette passive in my system as other passives that I tried (however, given that others have had more success with the Placette, take this caveat with a grain of salt).