[ralflar]

I use a VPC-2 and need more source inputs. Do I stay passive or move on to active? On the passive side I have narrowed my choices to the PLC-1. On the active side are countless alternatives. Please help me decide on the basics:

What am I giving up going active?
What am I giving up staying passive?

Let's leave price out of the equation for now.

[CIAudio]

I use a VPC-2 and need more source inputs. Do I stay passive or move on to active? On the passive side I have narrowed my choices to the PLC-1. On the active side are countless alternatives. Please help me decide on the basics:

Being that you already have a VPC-2, you know what a passive sounds like in your system. PLC-1 has better potentiometer tracking and a little more transparency. Passives and D-200's work very well together because of the amplifiers high input impedance...so I don't see any advantage to using an active solid state preamp. If you want to change the sound, then you might want to look into something tube based.

[ralflar]

I may experiment with tubes late next year or in 2008. My goal for now is to playback music without "interpretations" of any kind, tubed or otherwise. I like the sound I get from my combo. At the same time I wonder if active may be even better. How about dynamics? Are you saying this is not an issue due to the high input impedance of the D200?

[Psychicanimal]

I may experiment with tubes late next year or in 2008. My goal for now is to playback music without "interpretations" of any kind, tubed or otherwise. I like the sound I get from my combo. At the same time I wonder if active may be even better. How about dynamics? Are you saying this is not an issue due to the high input impedance of the D200?

Dusty and his cousin Danny Boy helped me solve this dilemma.

There's a thread in this forum that tells my saga.  I use Dusty's passive followed by a Marchand X9 Deluxe electronic x-over modded by Danny Boy himself.  I get the clarity of a passive pre with the constant output impedance driving of an active 'pre' (the Marchand drives four monoblocks & controls output levels of all, plus L/R damping @ x-over frequency).

The CI passive/modded Marchand combo kicks some serious ass and humiliates the wannabe's...

[ralflar]

You were referring to your "CI Passive Pre-amp plus electronic x-over" thread? Very interesting and most relevant to me because I am looking into dual subs and active x-overs, too. Thanks!

Do I need to purchase D-400s to get that Japanese female swimsuits calendar you mentioned?

[ralflar]

Here is another question for Dusty: is the channel tracking of the PLC-1's Alps pots just "better" than that of the VPC-2, or is it uncompromized even at the lowest volumes?

If there is a channel imbalance I would need at least an extra 6dB of attenuation.

[CIAudio]

Here is another question for Dusty: is the channel tracking of the PLC-1's Alps pots just "better" than that of the VPC-2, or is it uncompromized even at the lowest volumes?

If there is a channel imbalance I would need at least an extra 6dB of attenuation.

The custom Alps potentiometers are laser trimmed to within 1dB error at -60dB...so I'd say uncompromized even at lowest volumes 

[Psychicanimal]

You were referring to your "CI Passive Pre-amp plus electronic x-over" thread? Very interesting and most relevant to me because I am looking into dual subs and active x-overs, too. Thanks!

Do I need to purchase D-400s to get that Japanese female swimsuits calendar you mentioned?

This move, if done properly, will take a system to a whole different performance level. I took my tiny passive pre to (name withheld) house & compared it to his $2500 First Sound Presence tube linestage.  What happened was not funny...

The X-9 Deluxe has upgraded op amps as the main feature--and well worth it.  My unit has Cardas RCA jacks throughout and was built with Cardas solder.  Danny upgraded the rectifying bridge with high speed/soft recovery diodes and added a large and a tiny Nichikon Gold output cap in parallel to increase speed.  The x-over board caps were substituted for Nichikon Gold's and the boards sent to cryo treatment. I have an ACME Jena Labs cryoed IEC and fuse holder to add sometime in the future.

All the interconnects in this rig are Ridge Street Audio's Midnight Silver Edition in very short lengths.  From DAC & phono stage to pre they're 1/2 meter, the other three pairs are one meter long.  Have no fear, Ridge Street uses naturally insulated, medical grade silver in their cabling.  They don't sound like 'silver'.

In summary, this setup is extremely clean, fast, dynamic, linear and with wide bandwith. A pair of Kenwood L07-M high current monoblocks drive NHT SW2-Si subs and crossed @ 80 Hz they're completely invisible.

In other words, my system has psychic power and primal intensity.

[konut]

I use a VPC-2 and need more source inputs. Do I stay passive or move on to active? On the passive side I have narrowed my choices to the PLC-1. On the active side are countless alternatives. Please help me decide on the basics:

What am I giving up going active?
What am I giving up staying passive?

Let's leave price out of the equation for now.

You give up transparency by going active.

By staying passive, impedance matching, cabling, and gain staging require careful attention. Depending on the passive unit your using, you give up multiple inputs, and remote functions.

By staying passive its easier to turn the other cheek.

[ralflar]

The custom Alps potentiometers are laser trimmed to within 1dB error at -60dB...so I'd say uncompromized even at lowest volumes 

Well, 1dB @ 60 down is good enough for me...

[ralflar]

...
All the interconnects in this rig are Ridge Street Audio's Midnight Silver Edition in very short lengths.  From DAC & phono stage to pre they're 1/2 meter, the other three pairs are one meter long.  Have no fear, Ridge Street uses naturally insulated, medical grade silver in their cabling.  They don't sound like 'silver'.
...

I checked prices at the RSAD site. No wonder you keep them as short as possible. I would, too.

[Psychicanimal]

Robert is a very clever and unique cable designer.  I do not regret the expense, as my system revolves around the interconnects.  That's something I learned from him.  You could post this question in his Circle and find out...

[JLM]

I'm late, but have you considered Dusty's Monolithic Sound PA-1 pre-amp?  The active stage kicks in at center detent to add up to 6 dB of gain, while staying out of the circuit below that.

Dusty, we need to slap your hand occasionally for being such a duddy salesman of your own stuff.      

[ralflar]

You're not too late, though. I would like to at least audition a decent active pre-amp and my local dealer still does not have any interesting ones on demo. He did agree that I could bring my VPC-2 and D-200s for an A/B. I would be thrilled to hear first hand how this kit compares to the BEL and other stuff he likes so much. So I have been waiting.

Thanks for the PA-1 reference. This is an interesting device, and it very much appeals to my inner geek, but its active gain stage would solve a problem that I do not have. I use an extra 6dB attenuation in my VPC-2 (pulled jumper on input 2), and still have not turned the volume past 12:00...

I'll ask my dealer one more time if he has anything interesting in my price range (around 2k). End of this month will be decision time re. PLC-1 vs pre-amp-X.

[unityaudio.ca]

I've been thinking about this choiuce lately - either going with the PLC1, or the Monolothic PA1.
For me remote is a non-issue, so other than the $300 price diff, which is the better choice?

[CIAudio]

I've been thinking about this choice lately - either going with the PLC1, or the Monolothic PA1.
For me remote is a non-issue, so other than the $300 price diff, which is the better choice?

If you don't need the extra gain, I'd go with the PLC-1. It has better channel to channel tracking and a little better transparency.