Jumpers for Integrated Amps: What are you guys using?

"The answer is nothing. If you had a separate passive "preamp" it would still have to be connected to the amp. No one here would make that connection with two solid pieces of bare wire as is commonly done on integrated amps like the Creek that have pre-outs."

If its nothing then why would they go out of their way to make it, advertise it and offer an active card as a back up?

OP. I didn't say it wouldn't work, I said don't fool with it. When you use a passive line stage, your source component drives the amp directly. Small changes can have a much bigger effect on SQ because there's no active line stage to act as a buffer betweent the components. Regardless of what one of the other posters said, Creek used those jumpers for a reason. They have the least effect on the signal. They are not bare wires. Its a connection similar to what you would find inside the amp. NAD, McIntosh and every other integrated I can think of that jumps the 2 sections externaly, uses similar jumpers, not wires. Integrated amps, active or passive LS, have to connect the amp section to the preamp section. When was the last time you saw someone open an integrated amp, cut the amp/preamp connection and jam a pair of IC's in the signal path? That's not why jumpers were put outside. Its just the opposite. They do it this way to keep things out of the signal path.

Your Creek is very laid back in the highs to begin with. Unless you're having an issue with your system, I see no reason to play with the jumpers. Its another variable your source component has to deal with. But, if you're one of those people that has to fool with stuff, and feel compelled, AQ makes special jumpers for connections like this.

https://www.amazon.com/AudioQuest-Male-Male-Preamp-Jumpers-2/dp/B0006VMBGO 

I understand, that should a integrated have pre out and amp in connected by a jumper, it doesn't make a difference regarding replacing the jumper with a short interconnect (do believe 'short' to be a greater operative with a passive though). I was confused by the statement that 'the 5350 doesn't have a preamp...'. Probably should have worded my followup question differently.

If its nothing then why would they go out of their way to make it, advertise it and offer an active card as a back up?

@sfall I haven’t done any research on this particular item but I believe the card you are referring to would be used to add gain to one of the inputs (as opposed to a passive line stage which only cuts the gain available from the source). My point to the OP was that the line stage portion of the Creek (active or passive) still needs to be connected to the amplifier portion. That’s what the included jumpers do and they can be replaced with better connectors. Whether it will make any difference is in the ears of the beholder but it can’t hurt anything to try and he already has a set of interconnects on order for this purpose. Your admonishment to be "really careful" was needlessly scary.  Dick

Thanks for all the response everyone... I understand now.

As for the card some of you were referring to, I believe you are talking about the phono stage? It's an option on Creek integrateds as it is a board that connects inside the unit. When installed, it takes the place of the Aux input and becomes a phono input. 

"Your admonishment to be "really careful" was needlessly scary. Dick"

I think you were the only one that was scared. You do seem to be shaken up over all this. If you actually had one of these amps, you would know why I recommend caution. You can easily run out of gain and/or roll the highs off, and I've had that happen. Why would it not be something to consider?

"as opposed to a passive line stage which only cuts the gain available from the source"

A passive doesn't add or take away anything, that's why its called a passive. It can only work with what's given, and if you put an extra pairs of IC's in the path, you take away from what it has to work with.

"My point to the OP was that the line stage portion of the Creek (active or passive) still needs to be connected to the amplifier portion. That’s what the included jumpers do and they can be replaced with better connectors."

I don't remember you talking about better connectors until I brought them up in my last post. You were talking about IC's. There's a difference. Creek does not put the jumpers on the outside so they can be replaced with better ones. They do it so the amp or preamp section can be completely bypassed.

If you're looking to tweak for SQ, it would probably be a good idea to pull the jumpers out and clean them with a good contact cleaner. After about 10-15 years the silver jumpers will be tarnished. Doing that will make a difference in SQ.