Passive Preamps? Anyone?

Hello, You can also add Goldpoint attenuators http://www.goldpt.com/
to your list of candidates. They come complete/built or as a kit. Several versions including balanced XLRs. Comes with one, two or four inputs along with other options available.

Bob

Two others that you can try the McCormack TLC-1 and the McCormack Micro Line Drive. The TLC offers a passive and a buffered output while the Micro L/D offers a passive and an active output, the active output has an adjustable output of +/-6bd of gain. This will give you the option of deciding weather you like active or passive preamp's. Plus if you so chose you can have it upgraded at SMC Audio. I have a TLC and 2 Micro's one upgraded to Gold and the upgrade was well worth the money. For less than $1K the upgraded Micro gives the TLC a run for its money. I use the TLC because it has more inputs that I need. I'm scheduled to have the TLC upgraded with all the goodies after the new year, if you were curious.

Thanks everyone for the thoughtful responses! I'll start checking into these options.

There is a long thread on DIY forum on the Lightspeed passive attenuator, which is sold commercially by georgehifi (indentified throughout the thread.) His design is based on optocoupler resistors, as formerly used in the Melos photentiometer volume control and more recently, apparently, in a Dart Zeel $20K preamp. The design is not easily adaptable to a balanced system, but if you are running single ended, this may be the most transparent(and inexpensive) passive.

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?s=ec5a46642aff33baa33bfcf39e01cf07&threadid=80194&perpage=25&pagenumber=61

I think all the information above is very good, not mentioned (unless I missed it) is the music forst which is a TVC and is very nice

I recently did something of a passive shoot out using the Music First copper, Promitheus Ref with Double C-Core, Placette, and both balanced and unbalanced EVO nude attenuators.

I could have lived with any of them happily preferring the Promitheus.

Ultimately I have choosen a tube distinctions soulmate and a TRL battery unit as the ones I will keep. But this is not purely for sonic reasons but some convenience and aesthetics as well.

IMO, the use of passives is very system dependent....if you have the right output from your front end and the right gain structure throughout, can keep the IC's short and preferably use unshielded IC's so capacitance is not an issue the results can be terrific. Now these are important conditions and not easy to meet without other issues popping up.