Sound without the Preamp ?

I have a solid state system: Older Proceed DAP connected directly into an Adcom 5802. When I used the Adcom GFP 750 preamp I noticed loss of dynamics and clarity. My DAP has a "hybrid" digital/analog volume control. I have read that controlling the volume in the analog stage is the best for resolution preservation, esp. at low volumes. Any opinions on this?

I too have had great results getting rid of the preamp. I recently upgraded from Meridian 506.24 with Adcom GFP 750 to the Wadia 860x player. I compared the Wadia with and without the preamp, and it was WAY better without. I'm going to spend the extra money saved on better interconnect.

I have found that replacing the active preamp with a passive / direct does increase the "hi-fi" sounds (imaging,soundstage,noise, etc) but detracts from the "musical" aspects of the performance (dynamics,timbre,pace,rythym,etc.) anyone agree?? I ask why so many listen to an active linestage when a passive is so much less expensive / less complicated??

Passive preamps have nothing to do with a CD player that has an integrated volume control, as I've said many times before. Such a CD player simply and effectively puts an active linestage inside the chassis of the CD player...just in case some are misunderstanding that.

What you are saying Carl, sounds right to me, but depends on how the DAC achieves the volume control. For example in the early Theta DS Pres, they used some OP47s in the first analogue stage after the DAC. The OP47s drove both the fixed line out and a preamp stage. The preamp stage had switches, balance pots, a volume pot and then a further line stage using BUF03s. To my ears the sound was seriously degraded between the fixed out and the pre out. In certain cases, using the fixed out into another preamp or even into a passive was superior. The gains from having the pre section in the DAC were minimal to non-existant depending on whether you used a superior preamp to Theta's preamp stage. How do Resolution do it?