A 10kohm passive preamp in the right system (which nearly all comply* with)
Will give you less colouration, less distortion, less noise, better transparency, better dynamics and better bandwidth frequency response.
(*Comply)
Source: Should be of Redbook standard 2v or higher and have an output impedance of less than <1kohm (1000ohm) Which nearly all are.
Poweramp: Should have an input impedance of >33kohm or greater and have an input sensitivity of .5v to 2v in for full output. Which most are.
Cheers George If you don't believe me, here is a quote from the god Nelson Pass.
"A Quote from the master Nelson Pass
Nelson Pass,
We’ve got lots of gain in our electronics. More gain than some of us need or want. At least 10 db more.
Think of it this way: If you are running your volume control down around 9 o’clock, you are actually throwing away signal level so that a subsequent gain stage can make it back up.
Routinely DIYers opt to make themselves a “passive preamp” - just an input selector and a volume control.
What could be better? Hardly any noise or distortion added by these simple passive parts. No feedback, no worrying about what type of capacitors – just musical perfection.
And yet there are guys out there who don’t care for the result. “It sucks the life out of the music”, is a commonly heard refrain (really - I’m being serious here!). Maybe they are reacting psychologically to the need to turn the volume control up compared to an active preamp."