Wadia CD players direct to power amps opinions

You know, Bar81, I had the same experience!!
I think I wrote this in another similar thread in 2007 (I can't find that thread 'cuz I forgot the title of it! ;-( )
Anyway, I had TARA Labs Master Gen II interconnects & running my 861SE directly to the amp was far, far below in performance vs. running my 861SE into a preamp.
Then I got hold of some Virtual Dynamics interconnects & I had to, just like you, change my opinion!!
The Virtual Dynamics Nite 3 & Nite Platinum interconnects drive the power amp directly from the 861SE like I've never heard before. The music is dynamic & very enjoyable.

I still prefer my tube preamp in between the 861SE & the power amp as it gives me that tube "magic". I have not compared the without pre & with pre recently so I cannot say which one wins definitely but my present line-up with the tube pre is very, very enjoyable. I do not feel that I'm missing anything.
FWIW. YMMV. IMHO.

I did a search on whether to connect a CDP directly to an amp. The opinion is quite a split. Could somebody who knows better explain why such contrast in opinion. Provided that everything else is the same including the cables, it seems that having a direct route, thus eliminating the preamp and a pair of interconnects, would be preferred. Yet apparently this is not universal. I obviously assume that people didn't change components around. The only thing I could possibly think of is that, for some cases, the preamp has superior gain stage than what's inside a CDP with variable output. But is this even true? What else could it be? The CDP of interest would be Wadia for the originator this thread and Meridian 808 for myself.

Who knows? If I could logically figure it out I wouldn't have waited so long to go direct. In my case, I have variable impedance interconnects and I originally preferred the preamp. The only thing I changed was the PCs to the amps so it seems to me to be something quite complex (the much maligned "synergy" perhaps?) and I can understand both sides of the argument given my experience.

I have used my Wadia both directly to my amp and indirectly with a preamp and I very much prefer the sound with the preamp. However, this preference tends to be personal and is also extremely relative to your speakers, amp choice, cables, etc. In my case, running the Wadia directly produced a bright and edgy sound...while with my preamp a warmer, breathier and more rounded presentation that I personally enjoy...at least in my listening room, with my gear, and using the music I enjoy.

I have been trying to use a 302 with tube amps and have come really close with some old high power tube mono's. Did all of the audiophile things but the sound just kept drawing attention to the audiophile aspects of'sound'. Not bright, but just a tad too crisp. Huge sound stage, great bass etc. I think if I loved rock etc I couold do it. But for jazz and classical I'm not there yet. Sounds flows more smoothly using a pre-amp, ergo it becomes more 'musical'. I haven't given up though - the promise is just too much to resist.