Won't preamps become obsolete?

There is the SCE Harmonic Recovery System, an active black box with no buttons or knobs, to place between the CD source, and the amp(s) which will improve the quality of signal transmission. It is much cheaper than any preamp, going used on Audiogon in the $250 range, and allows for those who prefer a direct connection, but feel that lack of preamp is failing to optimize the sound reproduction.
I use in each of my systems, both with, and without a preamp stage, and it improves the sound, as a good tweak should.

More than 20 years ago I scapped the preamp in favor of an outboard phono section (PS Audio) fed into a Matrix multichannel decoder (Lafayette SQ W) which was probably the best matrix decoder ever. It provided source switching, gain, and volume control. Eventually I tried out a moving coil pickup, so I had to get a preamp for that.

Today I have a SS processor (Rotel 1066) and the old PS Audio phono section is back in action with a MM phono pickup, (rarely used).

So, in summary, I think that preamps are usually a bunch of unnecessary circuitry that the signal needs to go through. Less is more.

Years ago pre-amps included tone contols. In the future they may include room controls. Multi-channel may expidite this.

i agree with sugarbrie...

another reason for removing the pre is often a $$$ issue.

you cant get a decent new pre for less than $2500 to $3000 new or $1000-$1500 used.

though passive pre's add nothing to the signal-they sound waayy tooo threadbare for my taste and lack in dynamics /bloom/bass/and body

a interesting observation is there are alot more quality amp manufactures than pre-amp manufactures- ( most companies make a great amp but when it comes to preamps they suffer in comparison to the best pre-amp units such as...bat,audible illusions,Audio research(older ARC),pse hl-1, and cat)

Forgive me, but, "vinyl wanes..."

I think the interest in vinyl and associated gear is greater now than it was before CDs came out. Even my kids, who were both born after 1980, are gaga over the 12-inch-spinners. For digital they are into that MP3 thingy but each has a turntable which they use when at home.