Digital world - why have a preamp?

Yeah, impendance matching and or sufficient gain can sometimes be a problem with the "passive preamp" approach, or no preamp at all. Id you do have a CD player with a volume control, it often at the very least sounds a bit lean dynaically, and sometimes can be thin or lack body etc. I ran a passive pre, and no pre, for years. And while the sound was pretty, clear, detailed, etc, it was never strong dyamically, and sounded lean overall. Now if you never listen to anything more than instrumentals, vocals, and light music, this might be fine. But for me, and considering most "passive" speakers are dynamically fairly innept to begine with, I think systems need all the dynamic ability thy can get!,,,and the passive route usually doesn't offer than it a preamp.
So,my experiences in systems with the "passive preamp" approach has been good in some ways, yet a sacrifice in others. Guess you gotta weigh you're priorities and needs. For me, I like a very good quality acive gain preamp if I'm doing music...especially heavy percussion, rock, world, full scale classical, etc!
Good luck

I agree, NO preamp unless it's a nice solid state pre. like a Reflection Audio or Blowtorch, maybe a Ayre K1x. These are neutral. What goes in, is what goes out, but with better impedance matching.

Phile' is correct and succinct. My custom tube-buffered passive out-paces my HQ ss preamp. The argument against passives is unwarranted imo, since each system is unique. Of course you're not listening to the passive per se, you're listening to the output section of your source, in which most designs are not up to the task.

Ric Shulz makes a compelling case at www.tweakaudio.com/About%20EVS.html & www.tweakaudio.com/electronics%20tweaks.html

If one Must use a preamp, the best sound is derived via a low gain design, i.e. Electrocompaniet, Arcam/Cambridge, Morrison ELAD and Simaudio. Just my 2 cents and [too] many years of experience...