Tube Pre with Benchmark AHB2 Amp - anyone doing this?

Systems without a preamp tend to be very sterile and thin sounding... highly detailed but not very musical. Benchmark tend to be that way to start with, so cutting out a preamp is likely to net a very detailed and lifeless sound.  A tubed preamp would help to add weight and naturalness to the sound, particularly in voices and midrange instruments. 

I used the Schitt Frey+ tube preamp with the AHB2. It was rather good, and I did not love the Freya+ but the AHB2 made it sound OK. A great tube preamp and the AHB2 should be very nice.

A DAC with volume control is something I hate. Listen at low volume and hear the difference with using a good preamp.

One the biggest regrets ever .Not buying a tube pre amp years ago . I should have listened @ghdprentice.