What makes a preamp "passive", and what does that mean for how I use it?
1 Answers
Preamps are broadly passive or active. Active preamps have a power supply directly manipulating the audio signal, as part of a gain and/or buffer stage. A passive preamp has no such connection -- it's simply a voltage divider that reduces signal voltage before it reaches the power amplifier. Passive preamps provide no gain, which is why they're often called "unity gain" attenuators.