[sumoking]

I wonder if there’s some type of jumper to be moved inside to allow the xlr’s to be used. Nice to hear the single ended portion is sounding great. How are the volume knobs as you turn them? Smooth or is there a click or hitch as you move them up and down?

Let’s see what Chris who sells these passives has to say... I’ll
Let you know.

[sumoking]

I wonder if there’s some type of jumper to be moved inside to allow the xlr’s to be used. Nice to hear the single ended portion is sounding great. How are the volume knobs as you turn them? Smooth or is there a click or hitch as you move them up and down?

It’s feels fine. Good enough.  The steps are deliberate but they don’t click and stop on a button.
I find my normal listening level and move each one up or down
A couple notches and I’m set.
It sounds really good for $200.  I had gone with passives
For years and got into integrated preamps and then a $2000
Custom made tube preamp with an outboard power supply.
After listening to this I’m so glad I converted back to passive.
I think I got influenced by those that said passives didn’t have any bass.
This sounds glorious and has beautiful punchy bass.

 

[Tomy2Tone]

Awesome, thanks for the feedback!

[Poultrygeist]

FWIW my $99 HK passive has four inputs, two outputs and one record out.

Best of all is what it does with my Dennis Had amp.

[mresseguie]

Well, after lurking on this thread for who knows how long, I finally ordered an SMD DACT on eBay. I want to try it with my dB Audio Labs Tranquility DAC and one of my amps. I'll eventually get round to posting my impressions.

Thanks to all for their thoughts and impressions.

Michael

[OzarkTom]

It’s feels fine. Good enough.  The steps are deliberate but they don’t click and stop on a button.
I find my normal listening level and move each one up or down
A couple notches and I’m set.
It sounds really good for $200.  I had gone with passives
For years and got into integrated preamps and then a $2000
Custom made tube preamp with an outboard power supply.
After listening to this I’m so glad I converted back to passive.
I think I got influenced by those that said passives didn’t have any bass.
This sounds glorious and has beautiful punchy bass.

Thanks for the input. Price is now $250, but still a bargain over preamps.

[charmerci]

.

[wushuliu]

Looks like a cheaper simpler Chinese-DACT preamp is now available. I don't know why it took them so many years to do this. No-brainer.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SMD-Dact-type-21-Stepped-attenuator-Passive-Preamplifier-preamp-amp-HIFI-audio/123759141302?hash=item1cd09ea1b6:m:mlzYW3SUt5FnBGfXlsyO-ww

[mresseguie]

Looks just like mine. 

[leica m3]

For a passive preamp I use the Schiit Sys. For $50 and made in the USA.

[rollo]

  For that price try two. Use as dual mono. I do for a second system with Dennis Hadd Amp. Sounds better to me.

charles

[wushuliu]

For a passive preamp I use the Schiit Sys. For $50 and made in the USA.

Unfortunately the Sys uses a cheap alps pot. The DACT-type pots are *much* better, that's why they are popular.

If Schiit made the Sys with the Alps Blue Velvet, which IMO is what they should have done, then it would be a better alternative.

[MttBsh]

Unfortunately the Sys uses a cheap alps pot. The DACT-type pots are *much* better, that's why they are popular.

If Schiit made the Sys with the Alps Blue Velvet, which IMO is what they should have done, then it would be a better alternative.

A reviewer on a site Superaudiobestfriends.org https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/passive-schiit-shootout-saga-vs-freya-vs-sys.7611/ found that the $50 Schiit Sys sounded much more transparent and dynamic than either of the more expensive Schiit preamps, the Saga or the Freya, which themselves come highly rated. If it's true, even with its cheap alps pot, I would think that using one Sys for each channel would be pretty tough to beat for $100 or maybe for even 10 times as much, as long as you don't mind getting up from the chair to adjust the volume.

Although I would love to hear and compare all of these I will likely spend a little more to get a Luminous Audio Axiom II with the Walker mod, which replaces a Alps blue pot with a hi-end 23 step silver-plated switched network volume control using 1% metal film resistors. AND you can get it with a remote for under a grand. They claim that this passive can go toe to toe with any preamp regardless of price, and several reviewers have agreed. Not necessarily Cheap and Cheerful but - based on what I've read -  probably one of the best passive preamp deals to be had.

[seikosha]

A reviewer on a site Superaudiobestfriends.org https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/passive-schiit-shootout-saga-vs-freya-vs-sys.7611/ found that the $50 Schiit Sys sounded much more transparent and dynamic than either of the more expensive Schiit preamps, the Saga or the Freya, which themselves come highly rated. If it's true, even with its cheap alps pot, I would think that using one Sys for each channel would be pretty tough to beat for $100 or maybe for even 10 times as much, as long as you don't mind getting up from the chair to adjust the volume.

Although I would love to hear and compare all of these I will likely spend a little more to get a Luminous Audio Axiom II with the Walker mod, which replaces a Alps blue pot with a hi-end 23 step silver-plated switched network volume control using 1% metal film resistors. AND you can get it with a remote for under a grand. They claim that this passive can go toe to toe with any preamp regardless of price, and several reviewers have agreed. Not necessarily Cheap and Cheerful but - based on what I've read -  probably one of the best passive preamp deals to be had.

I've got a Saga and a Sys.  As much as I "wanted" the Saga to sound better than the Sys in my system, it didn't.  The Sys is just really transparent.  I've since bought another one so I'm now running two Sys'.  It really was an improvement over one.

[OzarkTom]

Looks like a cheaper simpler Chinese-DACT preamp is now available. I don't know why it took them so many years to do this. No-brainer.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/SMD-Dact-type-21-Stepped-attenuator-Passive-Preamplifier-preamp-amp-HIFI-audio/123759141302?hash=item1cd09ea1b6:m:mlzYW3SUt5FnBGfXlsyO-ww

Two of those in mono would be a killer deal. And free shipping.
Rollo said it would be better as monos.

[wushuliu]

A reviewer on a site Superaudiobestfriends.org https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/passive-schiit-shootout-saga-vs-freya-vs-sys.7611/ found that the $50 Schiit Sys sounded much more transparent and dynamic than either of the more expensive Schiit preamps, the Saga or the Freya, which themselves come highly rated. If it's true, even with its cheap alps pot, I would think that using one Sys for each channel would be pretty tough to beat for $100 or maybe for even 10 times as much, as long as you don't mind getting up from the chair to adjust the volume.

I think there continues to be some misunderstanding about preamps - it may help to read the whole thread: the Sys sounds better because there is *nothing* but the pot and inputs/outputs. That's it. THAT is why some people will prefer it. Hence you will want to use better pots AND pay attention to the value because it affects impedance. The DACT-type pre I linked to before and others have mentioned is the exact same concept as the Sys, just better quality pots. You can just easily make your own Sys with that cheap alps pot, a small plastic enclosure, and 4 RCAs.

[strateahed]

Hello all,

After reading a few comments and other information about passive preamps, I am still at a loss. There is no gain, as with an active pre ... I get that. But what happens when a passive is connected to a low output component - like a phono preamp? For example, when I switch from DAC or Oppo disc player to turntable/phono pre, I need to adjust volume higher (on active pre) by about 20% in order to maintain same dB level. Wouldn't this situation be made worse without any front-end gain?

Thanks in advance for your response.

Lewis

[wushuliu]

Hello all,

After reading a few comments and other information about passive preamps, I am still at a loss. There is no gain, as with an active pre ... I get that. But what happens when a passive is connected to a low output component - like a phono preamp? For example, when I switch from DAC or Oppo disc player to turntable/phono pre, I need to adjust volume higher (on active pre) by about 20% in order to maintain same dB level. Wouldn't this situation be made worse without any front-end gain?

Thanks in advance for your response.

Lewis

A passive preamp doesn't work for every setup. If you have a phono pre with low output then a passive may not be an option. Furthermore a passive is not necessarily better than active - it's all system/taste dependent. You just have to experiment and decide for yourself. But I'll repeat for the nth time that it's important to know the output impedance of the source and the impedance of the volume pot. Once you get a handle on those numbers, you can figure out what values give you the sonics you prefer - as opposed to just plopping in a random passive. A passive with a 50k pot is not going to sound the same as a passive with a 20k pot.

[brab]

To answer the original question, based on one day's audition, there isn't. So far i can't hear a difference between it and my homebrew passive comprising an expensive TKD potentiometer, coupled with a Mapletree Audio balanced line router. There is no channel imbalance at any volume level. The build quality is excellent.

[ginetto61]

I see Impedance: 50KΩ  on Amazon ... i guess it is the input impedance ? is not too high ?  i remember an old classic the Placette having a 9kohm of input impedance. 
Another interesting piece is this one ... more than double the price anyway (the resistors used do not look very high end but could the concept be valid  ?)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nobsound-Potentiometer-Preamplifier-Attenuator-Preamplifiers/dp/B076D55XSK


from the specs down in the page i see

Balanced input; Balanced output
Balanced input; Unbalanced output
Unbalanced input; Unbalanced output
Input impedance 2K+; Output near 300Ω      

i would not underestimate the impedance matching issue ... i did some test between a solid state preamp and a SS power amp ... the higher the Zinput of the pot the flatter the sound 
imho i see 10K as a maximun ... if the source is robust i could go even lower to 5k or 2.5k ...
I am very interested in this thread and i thank the Opener ... i am always struggling with line preamps of which i like overall the sound but the gain is not selectable and usually too high.  The option of selectable gain in line preamp should be made mandatory by law ...