Thing is, modern preamps are so clear that even several of them in series hardly is even noticeable.
I generally agree with Lizzy, but in this case I must disagree. IME, the preamp has a HUGE effect on the sound you ultimately hear from your system. A lot of what you hear will be based on if your DAC can properly drive your amp, but there is no doubt a preamp will absolutely have a huge impact on what you ultimately hear. I hope Ralph at @atmasphere will chime in here to check me, but my experience with several systems tells me the preamp is crucial in the ultimate sound quality of a system.
