The Audio Innovations pre worked very well with the Quad 989s I had back then but when I took on demo a pair of Eist Dubhs it didn't have the same synergy at all (I'm all about the synergy me). I mean the system sounded fine... great in fact but once the notion that I should try the Eists without the pre in place I had to try and the difference was huge and immediate. It was like an unveiling (a cliché I know) but the preamp that had improved the sound with the Quads was now getting the way.
Back in February a guy from the UK posted on facebook that he was selling a Moth passive preamp for sensible money. The Moth would allow me to use a headphone amp easily and provide additional sources if, God forbid, I ever wanted to go down the Computer Audio route. The seller had swapped out the original volume pot for a stepped attenuator so it does have nice stereo separation and 'air' around each instrument... that air and space allows more detail through as well. This preamp was giving obvious improvements where the Audio Innovations was getting in the way. I can't say if this is an active/passive issue because the Audio Innovations was great with the Quads... I can say, once again, it is an issue of synergy where components work together to be (probably) more than the sum of their parts.
Three months after popping in the Moth in the system I'm still throwing music at it, both old and new, and it still delights me every time.
The Moth is situ, second shelf down, the wooden face with two knobs - source select and volume,
and a stock photo on top of two Moth mono blocks.
