The preamp section on the DCC2SE is, as Dennis the Menace says, quite good, but having used it for a while while my Jadis preamp is in the shop I have found that it lacks the dynamics, bloom and spaciousness of a great tubed preamp (like a Jadis). I agree that it will take a decent amount of bucks to top the DCC2 on the solid state side, maybe a little less on the tubed side; I'd suggest you consider offerings from BAT or Lamm--the LL2 Deluxe might be a good possibility--or Shindo, if you keep the interconnects to the amp short. I also think French Fries' suggestion is not off the wall at all (I'm not one to give up on older products, my Jadis was made in 1995 and was designed a lot longer ago than that), though finding an older Rowland to audition would be difficult and it does have a distinct sonic signature that may or may not work with the darTZeel.
By the way, I have heard the darTZeel amp and preamp together at a friend's place (with an EMM Labs source too), it is quite a special combination, which is why I guess that I'm a little hesitant to suggest mixing and matching. If you are the sort of person who doesn't change components that often, the combination might be one that you could get, keep for the next 20 years and get off the high-end merry-go-round; you could rationalize the high cost that way. But don't go into debt to do it...
By the way, I have heard the darTZeel amp and preamp together at a friend's place (with an EMM Labs source too), it is quite a special combination, which is why I guess that I'm a little hesitant to suggest mixing and matching. If you are the sort of person who doesn't change components that often, the combination might be one that you could get, keep for the next 20 years and get off the high-end merry-go-round; you could rationalize the high cost that way. But don't go into debt to do it...