Are Preamplifier’s Relevant Today or just a Hinderance with Digital Playback ?

Great thread OP!

Certainly, I think this is somewhat system dependent. Overall though, I like preamps much.  

I have the ability to use my DAC's volume control or run it direct to the preamp.  I prefer using a preamp with it for the same reasons others (who do as well) stated above. 

One fellow that I personally admire as I believe him to be quite forward in thought is Bruno Putzey's

Bruno is quite brilliant.

The thing is that cables can cause colorations due to capacitance, interactions with the output impedance of a source, the input impedance of an amp, EMI issues and the like. Plus you can get noise from grounding issues (ground loop) even if a hum isn't evident. In a single-ended connection, the shield is often carrying the signal (in order to complete the circuit).


A lot of that is why the balanced line system was developed- when running balanced (if the balanced line standards are being observed) even though ground loops are present they can't get amplified, the shield of the cable isn't used as part of the audio signal path and so on. So colorations from the interconnect can be vastly reduced.

If your cables are kept short and you are careful with how your sources interact with the passive control and the amplifier, the results can be quite good. But if you are using speakers and are keeping the amps by them so as to minimize colorations from the speaker cables, you might have to run fairly long interconnect cables. If this is the case then the balanced line system is the way to go; you simply won't be easily able to do this with a single-ended connection without coloration.

@in_shore,
Last look other members were lining up taking shots at him some suggested what he was actually hearing was nothing more then colorations he just discovered... I just went back to the topic and see every comment and reaction to his post was erased.

Yep, the dreaded "colorations" again. Told ya 😆😆.
Charles

So you are saying that running through a bunch of resistors, transformers and caps, to say nothing of connectors and extra sets of wire/wire's doesn't colour the sound by comparison to running direct?? I mean really?? I get it if you need multiple outs, and only run analog, but if your all digital, i'd run direct 100% of the time. All pre-amps colour the sound to some extent however pleasant you may find them. That said, it's anyone's prerogative in this sport do buy whatever they want to satisfy their own ears, but I would be careful to claim(not that anyone has) that pre-amps are in anyway more accurate, because to my ears they simply are not and i've owned many. 
Atmasphere
I would only run balanced, for me on my journey, i've simply found them better, and my system always seemed less cable dependent than single ended, the problem of course is that a fully balanced design, for both amps & pre's costs more, at least that's been my experience. Currently though, fibre optic into my integrated, speaker cables to my speakers, simple as could be, sounds better than ever.

Sorry for the long wind, back to your scheduled program,

Don

Hi Don,
You trust your ears and I trust mine, as a result we've reached different conclusions. You find your  preferred approach presumably more sonically accurate.  I find my approach more sonically realistic. We're  both happy and neither of us has to settle for the others choice. It works out fine.
Charles