Passive pre-amps

[record_spot]

Interested in these. Does anybody have any experience of these?

Considering trimming the size of my amp rig down now that I use actives.

Not definite yet but will likely be replacing my TV in the New Year, and routing everything through the 752BD, then just use analogue out to the pre.

Thoughts folks?

 

[davedotco]

Passive pre-amps increase the source impedance seen by the power amp/active speaker when attenuating a signal.

This could and does interact with the capacitance/inductance of the interconnect cables and cause frequency response variations.

With short cables the effect is minimal, with longer cables such as those to active speakers, the effect may well be audible. High frequency roll off is the most common issue.

 

[lindsayt]

I use pasive pre-amplification.

It works well with my professional sources that have relatively high outputs.

I've heard passive pre-amplification sound really bad. For example with a Musical Fidelity phono amp as the source; all the life, bounce, dynamics were sucked out of the music. Swapping an active pre-amplifier into that system made it sound much better.

Less is more in hi-fi when you can get away with less. Whether you can get away with less in this case will depend on your source, and to a lesser extent your power amplification and your cables.

I tried a TVC passive pre-amp. In my system I got great midrange from it, but not so good bass and treble. In my system resistor based passive pre-amps sound better.

If your system is passive pre-amp friendly the good news is that resistor based ones are cheap because they are so simple.

 

[Vladimir]

This Emotiva Audio Control Freak - Unbalanced attenuator might do the job. There's also a balanced version. Haven't used this but usually Emotive designs good products and they do their homework on compatibility and such.

 

[The_Lhc]

Interested in these. Does anybody have any experience of these?

Considering trimming the size of my amp rig down now that I use actives.

Not definite yet but will likely be replacing my TV in the New Year, and routing everything through the 752BD, then just use analogue out to the pre.

Thoughts folks?

Isn't the 752 equivalent to the oppo bd player and usable as a pre-amp already? If everything is going to be wired to the 752, what do you need another pre-amp for?

 

[record_spot]

Fun.

 

[record_spot]

Joking aside, I don't necessarily want everything to go through the 752. The AVI Lab Series CD player for one thing.

Various other reasons but I'm on a very bumpy bus just now and it's less than easy keying this in!

 

[andyjm]

Joking aside, I don't necessarily want everything to go through the 752. The AVI Lab Series CD player for one thing.

Various other reasons but I'm on a very bumpy bus just now and it's less than easy keying this in!

You seem to have changed your requirements along the thread. If your first post describes your needs, then you don't need a 'passive pre amp' . If the last post is more accurate, then perhaps a 'passive pre amp' is the answer.

'Passive pre amp' is of course a fancy name for a few switches, a resistor or two and an empty box. Depending on how much care has been taken with the attenuator design, it can introduce unwanted impedance into the signal path. Unless you really want one, I would avoid or use a simple switch box instead.

 

[record_spot]

No change. I'd like to try one out. The Promitheus TVC being one such example.

The Onkyo is a great amp, but if the 752 can handle the DAC duties then the AVI can go direct to the pre directly, everything else can go via the Cambridge and it goes into the pre, and both thereon into the speakers.

 

[daveh75]

What are you actually trying to achieve?

The Cambridge is a fine disc spinner and pre-amp and make both the lab series and a pre-amp redundant.

Or is it more to scratch an itch...

 

[record_spot]

What are you actually trying to achieve?

The Cambridge is a fine disc spinner and pre-amp and make both the lab series and a pre-amp redundant.

Or is it more to scratch an itch...

Actually, through the active AE22s, the AVI is the better CD player. If it was a straight race between the 752 and the AVI as a CD player alike, the Cambridge would be going back in its box.

The AVI is by some distance the better player. Before, there wasn't much to separate them. Now, well...

I'm very clear on what I'm doing and what I need. I was seeking opinions about passive preamps. Don't worry too much about the peripheral details, I'll take care of that.

I might sell the Onkyo, but am undecided. I've seen some passive preamps that have piqued my curiosity. Promitheus, NVA and a few others. My 2011 Sony TV is hooked up to my amp via optical. The Cambridge can't accept a signal from a TV except via coax, and the Sony only outputs digitally via optical, so the Onkyo stays for now until I buy a new set next year (phew).

So I guess you could say this is a fact finding exercise. And I might yet go for an AV pre- to get the benefit of the AV functionality.

 

[daveh75]

I'm very clear on what I'm doing and what I need. I was seeking opinions about passive preamps. Don't worry too much about the peripheral details, I'll take care of that.

OK, well i use a Schiit Audio SYS inbetween a Raspberry Pi/Hifiberry DAC and some Seiwin 5As, but not really sure what there is to say about it (as its just a 2 way switch and volume pot in a shiny case) other than it was relatively inexpensive, small, well built and does what I need...

 

[record_spot]

OK, well i use a Schiit Audio SYS inbetween a Raspberry Pi/Hifiberry DAC and some Seiwin 5As, but not really sure what there is to say about it (as its just a 2 way switch and volume pot in a shiny case) other than it was relatively inexpensive, small, well built and does what I need...

I missed this before, so apologies for the late reply. This looks much like the kind of thing that Tisbury Audio does with its mini-passive too. That takes two a couple of inputs. I could use my 752BD for movies and TV (with an optical / coax adapter) and the AVI for music.