Passive Preamp Recommendations?

I agree with Tim, I feel a buffer is the best of both worlds
I had a lot of pre's, once I went with the Dodd buffer it was
a good change. Now have a Wyred 4S STP/SE is a buffer and also has gain (which I never need), wanted to try balanced connections and it is another improvement

Re the McCormack TLC-1, I had one for years and while the sound was very good, the sound did not compare with the sound form a Reference Line Preeminence One that I later bought. I suppose that's why Steve McCormack introduced the Deluxe version (which I haven't heard but which I assume is better.)

If you go passive, and AS LONG AS NUMBERS JIVE (in/out impedances, voltage sensitivities, interconnect length/capacitance,etc).....Lightspeed.

There is a Placette that popped up on the Club Polk website for $600.

I've tried many passives over the years, including Bent TVC and autoformer, Lightspeed, and both passive and active Placette. Then I tried the Music First Baby Reference. It's head and shoulders above the rest, at least in my system and one other I tried it in. The Placette Active (my first passive, wish I'd hung on to it) was also very good. Actually, all of them were very good, but not at the same level. The Lightspeed is quite a bargain. The passives from Tortuga look promising.

I use short interconnects only (1.5M at most).

I have tried a number of active pre-amps and do "get" the argument for them, yet I love the transparency of passives. Actives I've tried from Ayre, Rowland and Klyne have all been major disappointments. I think you must have to spend a lot more, and I haven't done that. A Gamut preamp I had when I had a Gamut power amp was superb. The First Sound I had many years ago was quite wonderful, but didn't offer remote. Your mileage may vary.