Preamps waste of money?

Preamp has many functions other than volume control
- input selector
- balance control (some have tone control)
- impedance matching
- allows use of balanced cables
- breaks ground loops on balanced connections (transformers)
- absolute phase inversion
- some allow to adjust level for each input (Rowland Chorus)
- have unity gain bypass for the theater system
- phono amp for TT
- rumble high pass filter
- remote control
etc.

If you don't need any of it then any stand alone volume control will do. I use Benchmark DAC1 as a preamp with volume control for 3 digital sources with balanced cables to power amp.

If your source and amp are a good match, a passive attenuator will work great. If not, a preamp is the correct way to go.
I have a Lightspeed attenuator in my system and love it.

In my system a good active preamp has made a world of difference. Does the preamp color the sound. Yep. However, the older I get the less I'm concerned about such issues as long as my ears are happy. I've gone the passive route but never found them as beneficial. Whatever works for you.

My experience with preamps is that at a certain price point an active preamp can get you the level of detail that a passive provides. In my experience, a passive preamp while giving gobs of details also tends to limit dynamics and drive. The "oomph" as you will. This will be more or less important according to both your music preferences and what matters most to you for musical reproduction. At lower price points this trade-off between detail and drive is a decision that each of us must make for ourselves.

And it must also be noted that passives and attenuators will not work well in a number of situations, particularly when a source has a high output impedance and an amp has a low input impedance.

Others more knowledgeable than myself will likely chime in to add to this.

I too like preamps and find that they can provide an optimal source impedance and gain stage that enhances the sonic performance. Passive is not always "better."

Depends on the system. Sometimes a passive volume control works and sometimes you need a preamp. I am currently using a placette passive volume control in front of a musical fidelity A3cr amplifier and getting stunning results. However, I have tried the placette with other amps and gotten different results. I will say that when it does work it is the most transparent option. The placette uses stepped vishay resistors.

My experience is the polar opposite of yours. I find an active preamp to be the heart of a good system. Any and all attempts to use a passive or volume control on the amp or source have come up way short in my experience.

In my experience to not have a good active preamp is somewhat of a hindrance to great sound and music.

All of this is so subjective and it makes perfect sense you may think the polar opposite of myself.

Enjoy your music as you like!

I am now using the Townshend Allagri transformer coupled passive and it is the most uncolored "preamp" I have had. But good transformer coupled ones are not cheap; it is $3000 and the top end over $12,000.

It`s rare when a resistor based VC is found to be less colored than LDR or transformer VC.Usually it`s the other way around.Resistors are said to have more of a signature according to many who`ve compared different types.There`ll always be exceptions to any generalization and each system is unique in terms of outcome.
Regards,

Your case is one of a line of particular cases where you have sufficient input sensitivity for the rated output power and sufficient high input impedance.
In many other cases preamp might be a necessary component.
Try out simple active preamp with low gain instead of your resistor such as McCormack or Wyred4Sound and you may realize the improvement since you will regulate output voltage rather than output impedance of your passive component.