Perfect Linestage...more like a switch for different inputs?

[SDS-PAGE]

I have heard that the best way to improve any linestage is to remove it. The maximum sensitivity of a standard CD player is about 2 Vrms, so it matches perfectly well with that of power amps. Don't know about tuners though. I don't quite understand why so much effort is spent to put expensive impediments in preamps. It seems like it would make more sense to standardize all sources to match power amps.

I have three inputs: a cd player, a tuner, and a turntable. I have a preamp made for vinyls. So, my question is could I just get an input switch followed by a volume control and call it a preamp? Will this work? For some reason, my amps sound sooooo much better when I just hook up a source directly. Even my puny iPod Shuffle sounds good. Any thoughts? Thanks,

-Min

[Blair]

Look up passive preamps. all they are is several inputs a selector switch and a stepped attenuator or pot (preferable the attenuator). Some have active opamps and such, but there are several companies that sell these "passive preamps", and yes, they do sound more natural IMO. Preamps color the sound a bit.

HTH

Blair