Clearly you need an amp to properly drive your speakers, BUT what come before the amp, the preamp and what comes before that, the source...it is all a balancing act and results in a "system" given fixed funds, assuming your source is up to snuff, a better preamp into a good but modest amp will IMHO sound better.
I have multiple systems and time and time again have tried many combos, and I always come away with a better sound fueled by a better preamp/modest amp combo.
I have multiple systems and time and time again have tried many combos, and I always come away with a better sound fueled by a better preamp/modest amp combo.