I donÂ’t know about for a system that employs an active pre amp, but
certainly
for a passive line stage (passive pre amp as they are commonly known)
some interconnects are far better suited than others. Interconnects
for a passive pre should be of low capacitance. Placette Audio definitely
recommends short interconnect cables for their passive pre. But if you talk
to the designer, Guy Hammel, he will also tell you that capacitance is
the real issue here, not cable length. To avoid high frequency roll off
your interconnect cables should measure less than 500 pico farads per
channel.
The most straight forward way to accomplish is to use short interconnects
(say, 2 meters but preferably less). According to Mr. Hammel, high
frequency
roll off due to excessive capacitance is not gradual but comes on fairly
suddenly
once capacitance reaches a certain level. So you either you have a problem
or
you donÂ’t.

My interconnects are less than a meter. Radio Shack rates their Premium
Gold
Interconnects at 40 pico farads a foot. Not bad. Some audiophile cable
companies,
like Nordost, rate some of their cables at 5 pico farads per foot or less.
So,
theoretically you could run longer lengths of interconnect without
experiencing
high frequency roll off.

Speaking of audiophile Interconnects, a dealer asked me to try some very
expensive
Transparent Interconnects in my system. The interconnects audibly dulled the
sound. I took the interconnects back and asked the dealer measured their
capacitance. They measured in excess of 600 pico farads a foot or 1800
for the 3 foot cable! We telephoned Transparent to get their comment.
At the time Transparent did not rate their interconnect for capacitance..
Transparent recommended that we peel some of the outer layers of cover
(skin) that insulates the cable. That actually did reduce the measured
capacitance, but not nearly enough to be suitable for a passive line
stage setup.. That was OK with me because I was not about to buy a
$2000 a pair cable. (I needed 3 pair)

Robert C. Lang