Any thoughts on removing a preamp from your system

I have to join the chorus and say if you're dealing with a "high"
quality active preamp the sound will be superior. Initially direct or passive
may seem more transparent but over time and continued listening it's
apparent that the sound is leaner and lacking the complete sonic picture
(tone, body, emotion and information). Jaxwired hearing more transparency
with his active preamp isn't a surprise. Top notch active preamplifiers are
essential to achieve the best sound from a system IMHO. Lots of listeners
have tried to eliminate the active but eventually realized that their sound
suffered in its absence.
Charles,

I have tried passive and always return to high quality active. There is slight gains in transparency with passive, but I prefer the dynamics and size of stage to a small % gain in transparency.

i've tried using various DAC's with variable outputs in lieu of a dedicated preamp but was never satisfied with the results and always ended back with the pre in my system. this was the case until i tried the placette RVC, which has obviated the need for a preamp entirely for me.

I've tried it and didn't care for it. While I don't think you need much gain at all, no gain seemed to blunt the transients and diminsh the PRAT in my system.

I had high hopes for the Portal Pinnache when Joe first put it out, but it seemed to suffer from the same shortcomings that other passive preamps that I had tried.

I always went DAC with volume, (W4S dac2, and lampizator) with the idea that simple is better. And less to buy?! Hell yes. I have since added a Shindo Aurieges L and tried other preamps. Like others stated above it surprisingly added depth, image, and weight. And i do now believe it is the heart of the system and hard to eliminate.