Eliminated my preamp with amazing results

This brings up the question..."what is the function of a preamp?"

My understanding is that it has 2 main functions. #1 is to control volume. #2 is allow selection of various source components. I didn't think the preamp was intended to 'add' anything to the signal and a good preamp does as little damage/degradation to the signal as possible. Adding gain does make the sound more lively but can amplify unwanted artifacts. For some, tube distortion is a positive thing. To each their own.

For some, it appears the purchase of a preamp may be an unnecessary expense and may even improve the sound by removing it.

This brings up the question..."what is the function of a preamp?"

A very good question, @gdaddy1 which you almost answer completely, but I’d say a little off.

Besides source selection, a preamp’s jobs are:

• Level MATCHING
• Impedance MATCHING
• Equalizing (for phonographs)

Preamps used to have to contend with very low input signals, such as from a radio, so they often have way more gain than necessary. Amplifiers also had a variety of input impedance, and the phonograph, tape player or tuner may not have handled it well when connected directly.

To summarize, preamps provide high gain, high input impedance and low output impedance. That’s the technical reasons for a preamp instead of say, a passive volume control.

In the modern age, with relatively standard amplifier gains (20x) and high input impedances (25kOhms or higher) the preamp seems almost vestigial.

As many who know of me here, I have been generally barking up the tree, how wonderful my totl single ended Luminous Audio passive has been. Recently, I acquired from my friend rawsonte ( negative comments keep to yourselves ), a diy FW F4. Obviously for those of you that know the F4, I needed to put into action, one of my many preamps with gain. The Usher P 307A, along with the F4 ( Tim did an outstanding job ), is pleasing me to such a level, my recorded music reproduction is outstanding. My best, MrD.

I've been using this configuration (streamer instead of computer) for years with Chord DAVE DAC and now Lampizator GG3.

The warnings about being careful are un-necessary as you are just applying the same care you usually apply to the pre-amp to the DAC.  

I've always been a minimalist and this is just a part of my strategy.  

Jerry

@erik_squires nailed the purposes of a preamp and, while preamps may be vestigial, the impedance advantages they offer, not gain, are likely the reason for the improvements that some report hearing compared to driving their power amplifiers directly from a digital device.