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Active Placette pre sound better than Passive?

I have two Passive Placette Preamps controlling Khorns and LaScalas. I need an additional 20dB attenuation to bring the Passives into listenable range, because the horns are so powerful. I don't need the Active Preamp for any boost, but the main point is does it sound significantly better than the Passive Preamp?
redwoodgarden
teajay
1,333 posts
 
Redwoodgarden, my hunch, looking at your total system, is yes, the Active would offer a sonic improvement over your passive. I'm sure Guy would setup an audition and if I got my facts right, you get the full value of the passive towards the Active if you trade up.
redwoodgarden OP
150 posts
 
Teajay I hope your facts are right. I didn't know about the upgrade. Thanks.
Gregm and Getheleadout you talked me into it. I'll call Guy again.
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
Have any of you chosen the passive over the active because the system did match and did not need the buffering? That is, your system matched well enough that there was no improvment when adding the active buffering? I use a Merlin BAM (bass augmentation module) between my RVC and Amp (the RVC is fed by a DAC with 2.8mv output and 225 ohms). It has 40kohm input and 100ohm output, so I'm not sure what beneifit if any I would receive from the active Placette. Guy wasn't sure I would necessarily hear an improvement given my system. The active is tempting, but like Gregm said, it is not necessarily improvment for every system.
jax2
3,031 posts
 
Pubul57 - I noticed you had a CAT ultimate in your system and are now selling it. Can you compare the sound of the CAT with that of the RVC in your system?

Marco
pubul57
3,712 posts
 
I'm not to good at describing sound. To start with, I subjectively like listening to the RVC as much as the CAT, and since I only have one source and no turntable (my unit includes phono). I felt the CAT was a bit more pre than I needed, especially given the RVC price. I would say the RVC is a bit quiter and even more transparent, with excellent detail retrieval and microdynamic shading, and seperation of sound sources within the soundstage (that is an "artifact" that I like). The CAT is a bit sweeter and perhaps more dynamic (macro). To tell you the truth, I love both. I was especially happy using the RVC as a remote volume for the CAT. I noticed no change in the sound of the CAT with the RVC in use, and I had extremely fine volume-levels to choose from with this set-up. If I don't sell the CAT, I'll probably end up using this set-up, but for now, I don't see the need for both.
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