[rollo]

I have been running either a Bent Audio or Warpspeed for past 2 years.  Thinking my system is sounding lean (Mccormack dna 125 is my amp) - has anyone gone from passive to a tube preamp with good success or am I just looking for change for change?

 Yes. Passives are great tools for evaluation or cerebral listening. They do not have the gestalt of actives. Lacking in weight and body. Now if that is what you are after fine.
   For me actives take the cake overall. Does that mean passives are no good ? Not in anyway. They have their role. They add no color just lean and dry IMO directly compared to actives. Which active ? Argh ha !! That would be up to you to decide after auditioning some.


charles

[cheap-Jack]

.

With a 0.5V input sensitivity coupled to a 2V CD source...You don't need gain.    I  prefer the Bent TAP-X over the LDR.    I found the Bent more listenable.  Dwight

Yes, a quality CD/DVD player delivers typically 2Vrms O/P signal on 600R O/P impedance via its built-in buffer, it can drive direct any power amps, SS or tube regardless - no sweats. Such low O/P Z can handle interconnects of reasonable lengths for home audio use -  no loss of signal quality.

So NO need to add an active linestage or an active buffer, which deliver redundant gain (even 10dB!) plus 'bonus' harmonic distortion & phase distortion added to the music. How low the volume control of an active linestage has to set to prevent overloading the power amps already proves the fact of too much redundant gain.

"Fuller" "warm" tonal sensation is the distortion generated by any active devices we are listening. Sorry I want clean, neutral, see-thru transparent distortion-free sound that no active devices can really deliver.

c-J

[Steve]

Yes, a quality CD/DVD player delivers typically 2Vrms O/P signal on 600R O/P impedance via its built-in buffer, it can drive direct any power amps, SS or tube regardless - no sweats. Such low O/P Z can handle interconnects of reasonable lengths for home audio use -  no loss of signal quality.

So NO need to add an active linestage or an active buffer, which deliver redundant gain (even 10dB!) plus 'bonus' harmonic distortion & phase distortion added to the music. How low the volume control of an active linestage has to set to prevent overloading the power amps already proves the fact of too much redundant gain.

"Fuller" "warm" tonal sensation is the distortion generated by any active devices we are listening. Sorry I want clean, neutral, see-thru transparent distortion-free sound that no active devices can really deliver.

c-J

The question then becomes, which is better, the internal analog active stage (and mute section) in the player, or the separate external preamplifier. So you are claiming $4.00 in parts in the CD analog stage provides clean, neutral, see thru transparent distortioin free sound, and is better than any external preamplifier?  Want to make sure we understand you correctly.

Cheers.

[sunnydaze]

"Fuller" "warm" tonal sensation is the distortion generated by any active devices we are listening. Sorry I want clean, neutral, see-thru transparent distortion-free sound that no active devices can really deliver.

c-J

Oh boy, here we go again.   Those that prefer actives like to listen to distortion.....doncha know!  Same with SET lovers.     Gets tedious.

Call it distortion or whatever you want, who cares?      Choose the one that sounds more pleasing to you.  Isn't that the objective?  No need to justify anything, or make any kind of a theoretical explanation.

[bummrush]

This stuff kinda boggles my mind at times so bear with me. When my Coda pre is at unity gain am I essentially using it in a passive no gain mode? I think I am but never sure even though this stuff can be pretty basic .

[jackman]

Oh boy, here we go again.   Those that prefer actives like to listen to distortion.....doncha know!  Same with SET lovers.     Gets tedious.

Call it distortion or whatever you want, who cares?      Choose the one that sounds more pleasing to you.  Isn't that the objective?  No need to justify anything, or make any kind of a theoretical explanation.

Don't take the bait!  CJ chimes in every time we have one of these discussions.  If you prefer active preamps he says you must like distortion, blah, blah, blah.   I've tried several passive preamps and some sounded good with certain types of music.  None made me want to ditch my active preamp. 

Try both types or find some local people who will loan you a passive and try for yourself.  It's cool if you prefer one over the other.  Buy the one you like best.  Just make sure to test both preamps by listening to a variety of music types (assuming this is your preference). 

[Early B.]

In choosing between a tube pre and a passive pre, go with a tube preamp. A good one isn't cheap, though.

[skifasterslc]

 Yes. Passives are great tools for evaluation or cerebral listening. They do not have the gestalt of actives. Lacking in weight and body. Now if that is what you are after fine.  

Well put Rollo, could not agree more.  I spent many years with a couple of very good passives and then installed a quality active preamp----game over. I heard an "energy" to the music ... an aliveness that i did not have before.  Just my experience with my system and my ears,  YMMV

Cheers  ---mark