Berkeley Alpha Reference run direct

I think the Ref 6 is an outstanding preamp for the money. It is extremely transparent which can be both a blessing and a curse. On great recordings, there are no issues. On lesser recordings, the treble and midrange can sound a bit coarse to my ear. I also found the soundstage to be a little forward for my taste, like sitting in the third row at a concert hall. It also has a very punchy/ballsy sound, almost like it's on steroids. On some music it's an advantage, but on other music, it can be a bit too much of a good thing.

This is ONLY my opinion, you need to listen for yourself.

The key, to me, was the loss in resolution with a digital volume control.  You really need to compare it.  Volume reduction should not be a loss in resolution.  

Certainly a big difference of opinion here:

joeinid:  "With a preamp, you might get a slight loss of detail…"

cerrot:  "The key, to me, was the loss in resolution with a digital volume control."

I always thought the terms resolution and detail referred to the same thing.  

Yet both posters want to use a preamp.

So, which is it?  Please enlighten me!

We all hear differently. Let me say it this way, DACs direct to amp have more "detail" but I find it more fatiguing in the long run. Digital attenuation reduces the volume by throwing bits of data away. That's why some don't like it. For me, the better the preamp, more gets through but still retains the musicality that I love. 

A dac direct to amp seems impressive at first, but too much detail takes the enjoyment out of it.

Have you compared a preamp to no preamp in your system? If you love no preamp, great, you've saved some money. I've compared it many times with several dacs and many preamps and I always prefer the preamp. 

It's a known issue that digital volume controls reduce resolution.  The higher priced models claim to solve the problem.