How can an active preamp possibly help?

A tubed pre-amp can/does produce much more natural sounding music than CD direct to amp, IMO. My 6 tube pre-amp adds liquidity, warmth, body, and richness, and all these things are properties of live music-- and I've played guitars-- both acoustic and amplified for 40 years.

Soundstaging may be an artifact of stereo imaging, but I like it, and I like it a LOT, and tubes do it better than anything else I've heard. But on balance, it really comes down to personal preferences. I like tubed pre-amps. Cheers. Craig

Interesting feedback. But my question remains...if the signal out of my CD player is already too loud (my McIntosh amp has a gain control I can move up and down, when it's at default 12 oclock position sound is way too loud), how can a preamp possibly help? Does it lower the volume of the signal it receives and then reamplify it? If so, how can this sound better than the original source unless it's adding some sort of EQ function?

Agree with your observation, and its the same comment that would be made for using a passive preamp -- which is, in effect, the same as not using any preamp except for volume control and source switching. I have gone "passive" and will never go back -- the transparency and overall improvement is astounding, and I don't notice any loss of dynamics or bass, which are some of the arguments which proponents of active preamps make. Presumably, they would also apply those same arguments to your use of the cdp's volume control. If that's the case, why do Mark Levinson and other top names provide a volume control in their cd players. To reduce dynamics and bass? I don't think so.

I've used passive preamps, also found the sound very flat, 2 dimensional, but the bass and top end was very good, transparency great. Going back to good ss active preamp now, offering the best overall performance for my likes. Tried a tube preamp and it didn't 'do it' for me at all. Like anything else, it's something you have to try in your own system to see what works with your tastes, no amount of audiophile jargon or high flow technical theory should sway you any which way, let your ears decide.

Can anyone explain technically why people report any benefits to using an active pre, given my account above?

If the signal is already too loud and needs to be attenuated, how can an active pre possibly add soundstage?