Passive preamp vs. powered

There could be. Don't you have a powered pre you could A/B with? Passive pre's work great, but it also depends on a few technicalities. Since the whole idea is not to influence the source signal, there is no amplification of the source. Sometimes, depending on your amplifiers, there may be a situation where a slight boost is needed to attain best performance. You will have to experiment to get an "ear" on the situation. Placette makes one of the best passive pre's in the market. I have been looking for a RVC (remote volume control) from Placette to use with my Wyetech Opal.

A powered preamp adds very little to most high level inputs, like CD and such. Some phono pre-preamps require a powered pre to sound best. Many CD machines with a volume control do not need any preamp.
Preamps are from back in the day when all anyone had was a TT, a tuner, or a cassette machine. Then you wanted the preamp for it's phono section (which by its nature HAD to amplify the signal) for TONE controls and a balance control, and for tape selection. Most input signals to a preamp USED TO BE .25 volts.. and then the pre would out a bit more.. up to 2 volts. THEN.. everyone dumped the tones controls.. and as CD arose, most dumped the phono section. And since CD output was 2 volts.. (the usual "LOUDER IS BETTER" trick)the preamp stopped having to amplify anything.
So NOW, most preamps are glorified volume controls only. (though most still have a balance knob.. and a 'tape' in/out. and a selector switch.
So unless you want the preamp as a 'tone control', the preamp to be the crown jewel in your system, or need it for your particular phono section, then a passive is just as good or better.
I being an 'old fart-ess', still always use a preamp (my current items are a Adcom 750, and an Audio Research SP15)

I have a Creek OBH 12 Passive (with remote) and an Audio Electric Supply (AES by Cary) AE3 tubed pre. While both sound good, the AE3 makes accoustic guitars sound more like wood and vocal just sound better. You must trust your own ears.
Happy Listening

An active preamp also takes all the thought out of matching sources & amps. It's the softer easier path.

As Elizabeth said, ya gotta pay attention with a passive pre and selecting sources is more important a thing.

here's the deal, unless you've joined the 'flavor of the month' club, and you like what you're getting, keep doing what you are doing.

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtains, you know, that little voice which says "Hey man, You need get another ...."

But that said... Quality is quality and always speaks for itself. Passive or active doesn't matter.

If you're looking to step up the performance level of your preamp, that's horse of a different color. But one design over another... passive vs. active... Well, I think that's a push and all you wind up with very often there is simply 'different'. One or the other is not preventing you from hearing everything you can hear from your source simply by their methodologies.

Rather than going from pass to active, go up a few levels in the same sandbox might be better.