I used to think passive preamps were superior to active preamps given right the setup, but

Georgelofi, I agree Bascom's comments have to be taken with a grain of salt given he is on PS Audio promoting his design.  However, the same argument can be applied to you since you are a manufacture of LDR passive preamps.  I myself own potentiometer, stepped attenuator, LDR, and autoformer based passives believing passives are better than active preamps under the right circumstances (eg, low output impedance source, high input impedance amp, and short IC length).  But my recent experience with a modest active preamp supports much of his claims.  Time to reevaluate my prejudices against active preamps.

Which came first? The chicken or the egg?

Is BK dismissing passives to promote his new active preamplifier?
Or did he design his new preamplifier to be active due to his previous experiences with active/passives?

I do believe BK struggled with the passive vs active over the years and came to accept what his ears were telling him rather than what he was taught in engineering class. I don’t think this is the first time he’s telling this story just to sell a product. Seems like a honest man, despite the setting of this interview.

You got to have gain somewhere. I have never found passives anything but boring and with no pace.