Paul, I really want to say thank you for this wonderful series of videos you’re doing. We may have had a little run-in regarding green marker pen on CDs a while ago, but whatever, we can’t all agree all of the time! However, I would like to say that your insight and knowledge, as well as your ability and willingness to share it are outstanding. It’s always a pleasure to see that you have posted a new video. Many thanks.
For about 6 mos now I've been using the Icon passive from Triple M Audio out of the UK. It's the best purchase I've made in a long time. I get plenty of volume from my Oppo universal player and my Coda phono stage. Over the years I've owned audio gear from Mark Levinson, Rowland, McCormack, and Coda. My speakers are Legacy Focus. No active preamp that I have ever owned has given me the kind of detail and realism that the passive gives me. My interconnects are short....no more than 1 meter, but the interconnect to my power amp is about 3 meters. Volume and dynamics is never an issue.
Thanks for the story Paul, take home message, use a 10K attenuator, had no idea why one would use different value, thought it was all about volume levels. Just about to refurbish my old passive box for XLR, valuable know-how.
Many people in this comment section are confused about the name "passive pre amplifier" The prefix "pre" denotes "before" so, a pre amplifier (passive or non passive) is a device that comes before an amplifier (power amplifier) it is not meant to infer that it is amplifying anything. Think of the term pre shave (lotion), it does not do any shaving, it merely comes "before shaving" Even a powered pre amp doesn't amplify the signal (except phono) it needs to be powered only for correction circuitry, tone controls, switching etc.
For years I used a passive pre-amp that had an "autoformer' (i.e., a tapped coil) that did not degrade the bass. And then one day I heard you praise the Aesthetix Calypso, which is a 2-tube per channel line stage preamp. I auditioned the Calypso and bought it immediately. The difference in sound quality is astounding. Why is this the case? You would think that the simple, passive tapped coil would do the least amount of damage to the signal, but the opposite turned out to be the case.
A buffer stage preamp if well designed with a proper power supply is not a bad compromise. Paul is absolutely correct with the total passive preamp bass slam loss and who wants that.😊
Very interesting video Paul, i just got a passivbe pre amp, (stepped attentuater type) 3 days into owning it and i am thoroughly enjoying the sound at mo, makeing me smile :)
Paul, Ace Audio, John Grauer came out with a passive preamp called the Zero Distortion in 1973. I think he may of been the first. I own 2 and they were reviewed in High Fidelity mag.
I need help Paul, since you are discussing passive vs active preamps and the pots used having certain impedance, how do I know how to best match impedance from a preamp (it's output impedance right) and power amp (here is input impedance matter is it)? How about voltage does it has something to do to drive the amp to a certain loudness level? I am at a lost. Hope to hear from you or better yet have separate video for this?
I have a PS Audio 4.5 and I really enjoyed its passive mode operation. Unfortunately one day it "let the smoke out" and hasn't worked since. Is there a schematic somewhere to help me troubleshoot?
Listening to this right now using a preamp with a passive/active switch. Quite interesting, all I thought passive did was skip the bass/treble knobs as I've always had a strong enough input for it to carry through in passive. Funny thing also, is the power switch does nothing except illuminate a green LED.
I am right now, designing a preamp with volumen control and input selector where the sound only meets 2 resistors and one switch, no attenuators, pots or otherwise!
I don't get it. In order for me to listen to my records on my turntable I have to amplify the signal so my receiver can amplify it so I can hear it at normal levels. Without it, I can barely hear anything. If I used a passive pre amp there would be no initial amplification. When is using a passive pre amp a viable option?
With a turntable, you DO need an active device. I think the person asking the question uses high level sources only, where you may not need any amplification. In those cases, a passive device can be used, since the output of a typical CD player, for instance, will drive most power amps to full (or more) output.
With a turntable you still need a phone stage suitable for your cartridge (MM or MC) which can then be plugged into a passive preamp. This will provide the RIAA equalisation and amplify the very weak signal from the cartridge. In an active preamp, the phono stage is a section of the unit which follows the phono input but the signal then gets boosted again only to get turned down by the volume control. With any other device such as a CD player, Blu Ray player, etc. you can plug it straight into the passive preamp. If you're in any doubt about the sound quality improvement, don't be, it's "chalk and cheese" - a good passive preamp will sound MUCH better than any active unit.
Christian Holmstedt That's not quite true. There's no such thing as a passive power amplifier, but a transformer can give passive voltage amplification at the cost of increased source impedance.
Paul, I really want to say thank you for this wonderful series of videos you’re doing. We may have had a little run-in regarding green marker pen on CDs a while ago, but whatever, we can’t all agree all of the time! However, I would like to say that your insight and knowledge, as well as your ability and willingness to share it are outstanding. It’s always a pleasure to see that you have posted a new video. Many thanks.
For about 6 mos now I've been using the Icon passive from Triple M Audio out of the UK. It's the best purchase I've made in a long time. I get plenty of volume from my Oppo universal player and my Coda phono stage. Over the years I've owned audio gear from Mark Levinson, Rowland, McCormack, and Coda. My speakers are Legacy Focus. No active preamp that I have ever owned has given me the kind of detail and realism that the passive gives me. My interconnects are short....no more than 1 meter, but the interconnect to my power amp is about 3 meters. Volume and dynamics is never an issue.
Thanks for the story Paul, take home message, use a 10K attenuator, had no idea why one would use different value, thought it was all about volume levels. Just about to refurbish my old passive box for XLR, valuable know-how.
Many people in this comment section are confused about the name "passive pre amplifier" The prefix "pre" denotes "before" so, a pre amplifier (passive or non passive) is a device that comes before an amplifier (power amplifier) it is not meant to infer that it is amplifying anything. Think of the term pre shave (lotion), it does not do any shaving, it merely comes "before shaving" Even a powered pre amp doesn't amplify the signal (except phono) it needs to be powered only for correction circuitry, tone controls, switching etc.
For years I used a passive pre-amp that had an "autoformer' (i.e., a tapped coil) that did not degrade the bass. And then one day I heard you praise the Aesthetix Calypso, which is a 2-tube per channel line stage preamp. I auditioned the Calypso and bought it immediately. The difference in sound quality is astounding. Why is this the case? You would think that the simple, passive tapped coil would do the least amount of damage to the signal, but the opposite turned out to be the case.
Hot damn, 6500€/$. I am cursing the cost of a quad channel stepped attentuator for my DIY box.
One day perhaps.
A buffer stage preamp if well designed with a proper power supply is not a bad compromise. Paul is absolutely correct with the total passive preamp bass slam loss and who wants that.😊
Very interesting video Paul, i just got a passivbe pre amp, (stepped attentuater type) 3 days into owning it and i am thoroughly enjoying the sound at mo, makeing me smile :)
Paul, Ace Audio, John Grauer came out with a passive preamp called the Zero Distortion in 1973. I think he may of been the first. I own 2 and they were reviewed in High Fidelity mag.
I need help Paul, since you are discussing passive vs active preamps and the pots used having certain impedance, how do I know how to best match impedance from a preamp (it's output impedance right) and power amp (here is input impedance matter is it)? How about voltage does it has something to do to drive the amp to a certain loudness level? I am at a lost. Hope to hear from you or better yet have separate video for this?
My friend had a passive pre-amp, the Rotel Michi
I have a PS Audio 4.5 and I really enjoyed its passive mode operation. Unfortunately one day it "let the smoke out" and hasn't worked since. Is there a schematic somewhere to help me troubleshoot?
Listening to this right now using a preamp with a passive/active switch. Quite interesting, all I thought passive did was skip the bass/treble knobs as I've always had a strong enough input for it to carry through in passive. Funny thing also, is the power switch does nothing except illuminate a green LED.
I am right now, designing a preamp with volumen control and input selector where the sound only meets 2 resistors and one switch, no attenuators, pots or otherwise!
"passive" means the power amps are driven by the source and the pre amp is just controlling the volume
passive preamp is eq settings at full for flat signal
active preamp is eq settings at half for flat signal
Tried a passive preamp once but it rolled off the highs because it couldn't drive my long interconnects.
Thanks for the uploads 🎉🎄 Merry Xmas 🍾🎅
Very good and interesting again. Thank you.
Hubert
How can you amplify a signal without adding power in a passive preamp?
It fails me how one can call "amp" (pre-amp) for something that just diminishes the signal. Language can turn weird sometimes.
I don't get it. In order for me to listen to my records on my turntable I have to amplify the signal so my receiver can amplify it so I can hear it at normal levels. Without it, I can barely hear anything. If I used a passive pre amp there would be no initial amplification. When is using a passive pre amp a viable option?
With a turntable, you DO need an active device. I think the person asking the question uses high level sources only, where you may not need any amplification. In those cases, a passive device can be used, since the output of a typical CD player, for instance, will drive most power amps to full (or more) output.
With a turntable you still need a phone stage suitable for your cartridge (MM or MC) which can then be plugged into a passive preamp. This will provide the RIAA equalisation and amplify the very weak signal from the cartridge. In an active preamp, the phono stage is a section of the unit which follows the phono input but the signal then gets boosted again only to get turned down by the volume control. With any other device such as a CD player, Blu Ray player, etc. you can plug it straight into the passive preamp. If you're in any doubt about the sound quality improvement, don't be, it's "chalk and cheese" - a good passive preamp will sound MUCH better than any active unit.
I own the ps source preamplifier 1980s and it has passive outputs
Joost is pronounced like in 'yo' -> 'yo'-st ....haha it sounds real funny how you say it.
By definition there is no such thing as a passive amplifier. Your 'passive Pre-Amp' is nothing more than an attenuator.
Christian Holmstedt That's not quite true. There's no such thing as a passive power amplifier, but a transformer can give passive voltage amplification at the cost of increased source impedance.
There is no such thing as a passive pre amp. Oxymoron.