Price Paid:  $1500.00 from Better Sound

Summary:
The Preeminence One is a passive line stage of the highest quality. It minimizes distortion and discoloration usually associated with preamps. I have owned several of these over the years - actually making the mistake of selling one. This line stage is designed for a simple 2 channel system, so if you like the bells and wistles associated with home theater or you like EQs this is not for you. P1 simply passes information from source to amp - period. But it does so with absolute neutrality. This line stage would be a good match for tubes, esp the little ZEN amp sold by DECWARE. All in all the P1 allows for the greatest amount of detail the source can provide. It sounds equally good with Rock as with Blues, Jazz or Classical. If you can find one buy it and keep it. As an added bonus it is a beautiful piece with a gorgeous black lacquer type finish and gold accents.

Strengths:
Detailed, transparent, simple design, attractice, quality workmanship,

Weaknesses:
Connectors come loose from time to time, require tightening

Similar Products Used:
Audible Illusions, Mondial, Sunfire,

Price Paid:  $425.00 from Echo audio

Summary:
HOLY CRAP. Go out and buy this now! I will never ever go back to an active preamp. The clarity I get from this thing is so insane. I can see and hear into the inner depths of the music like never before. This preamp alone made my system sound better than systems sounding twice as much. because the signal stays so pure and uncorrupted I got way more, tighter, and controlled bass. The image got much bigger and very defined and the soundstage can go very very deep. Everything got sooooooo much more natural sounding. The background is so quiet it's erie. My jaw dropped when I put this preamp in my system. From different chat threads I've been in this is one of the best passives out there. If you are going to try one try this one. It has silver wire throughout and a high quality atennuator.
The only reason passive preamps are in debate is because you have to match the gear right. The amp has to be of the correct OHM rating and the DAC has to have more than 2 volts for the output (Mine is 5 volts). The theta pro basic 2 worked great and so does my current DAC the resolution audio Quantum. But the EAD dsp 1000 I tried was only 2 volts and that just wasn't enough to push my amp. (oh yeah my amp is 100k ohms). It's not hard to find the right gear and believe me it's worth it and the only reason someone won't like this passive is because of the things above. Basicly you won't be able to get the volume loud enough but when you match it right the power will destroy an active preamp. Trust me build your system around a reference line passive preamp and you'll be happy. You'll be able to accuratly test all the other components you try because this preamp lets you hear exactly what characteristics your other gear has. It doesn't hide or gloss over anything. It just gets out of the way.
My system: Thiel 2.3 speakers, BAT vk-200 amp, Resolution audio quantum dac. I custom make my own powercords, interconnects, and speaker wire using solid core wire. I also have a dedicated power line and high quality outlet(believe me it makes a huge difference) I USE NO LINE CONDITIONING. I lose dynamics and it sounds duller with it. Besides with a passive preamp there is no power to get corrupted. Also I have the series 2 of this model.

Similar Products Used:
Classe cp-35 and heard many other preamps in different systems.

Summary:
I simply can't beleive I am the first to yell from the roof tops about the sonic breakthroughs this pre-amp has accomplished. An absolute joy to experience this component. This component opens the musical door to allow one to hear the source unobscured and in full detail. It simply dissapeared in my system allowing me to hear what was always masked by other so called high-end, pre-amps. My power amp improved more than I could possibly afford. My investment in the Cardas line of cables (Golden Cross spkr. and interconnects), has made me content with the Reference Line. This pre-amp does not sound, it gets out of the way of the sound. System synergy after all is "everything". I know that my system has been resuscitated with the addition of the Reference Line Preeminence One to the extent of satiety. If only all audiophiles could be so lucky.
So highly recommended.

Strengths:
Transparancy,Resolution, Micro and macrodynamics

Weaknesses:
No remote or Phono

Similar Products Used:
Melos,Audio Reference, Bryston.