The question that needs to be asked is why would a preamp improve the sound in the first place. It's not a source, so it by definition should not add signal.
Isn't a preamp about having multiple sources and a volume control? It's about control, not sound or signal - at least in terms of being a source.
The fact is if we agree a preamp is not a source, if you accept a preamp as not being a source, then by that definition if you add a preamp and the sound changes then anything that preamp does to the sound is in addition to the source signal or a taking away from the source signal.
At the end of the day it's probably a subjective call, like zd542 says, at least in terms of what sounds good to one person or another.
For me, I want the purest signal so I avoid active preamps.
Isn't a preamp about having multiple sources and a volume control? It's about control, not sound or signal - at least in terms of being a source.
The fact is if we agree a preamp is not a source, if you accept a preamp as not being a source, then by that definition if you add a preamp and the sound changes then anything that preamp does to the sound is in addition to the source signal or a taking away from the source signal.
At the end of the day it's probably a subjective call, like zd542 says, at least in terms of what sounds good to one person or another.
For me, I want the purest signal so I avoid active preamps.