Taking suggestions for CD players for a passive

Any cdp with a standard 2v output will drive your passive preamp just fine. Just a matter of flavor after that.

Shakey

Not so, Shakey. My Oppo BDP8SE sounds fine in my system (active preamp) but pretty dismal -- flat, 2-dimensional, generally blah -- in systems with a passive. Three such systems so far (I couldn't believe the first one).

Dopogue, that is why you need the tube buffer to bring it to life. I have a few players around and with the tube buffer it sounds as good as my Sonic Frontiers Line 2.

I was just lookin for something newer since I have a Sony 707ESD built in 1984.

The tube buffer (I tried one and sold it) simply adds a pleasing kind of coloring and IMO, distortion, to the sonics. If it works for you, though, enjoy
the effect. Probably a hell of a lot better than listening to my Oppo thru a passive alone.

And I should note that there are passives and there are passives. One that I heard (MSRP, $6,000) was much more listenable than the others, as it darn well should be.