Best Preamp = No Preamp?

I agree with the preamp believers. I used the Benchmark direct with several power amps, and it sounded weak, compressed, flattened imaging...not good.

The Bel Canto DAC3 has much more drive and bass and dynamics than the Benchmark when run direct. The DAC3 has a much larger power supply and a digital volume control that was designed with some buffering to get around the usual problem passive drive has.

However, placing a quality tube preamp in the circuit shows you what you are missing. More air, more expanse, more space, more dynamics. However, if you can't afford a good enough preamp, you won't get these results with so-so preamps. I could live with the DAC3 direct, and have, while between preamps. If expense is the factor, the DAC3 might be an answer for you.

A bad preamp is the worst thing you could add to a system. A good preamp can do wonders if your system is not well balanced or not too sensitive.
With a very sensitive system, the best I heard is a passive preamp, resistor attenuators wired directly into the amps, smooth extened on both ends and dynamic.
Less is more....but it needs to be enough!

One thing that people don't always realize is how important it is for the preamp to control the interconnect cable between the preamp and amp. Passives cannot do that, but a good preamp can, if there is intention to do so in its design!

When had AA Cap mkII connected directly to Clayton M100 it sounded somehow uninvolving , dry, but after tubed Supratek Chenin was added to the chain it changed to magic, sound was musical, alive. I tried some cheap passive preamp it was disaster, much worse them without preamp.
I could neither believe nor understand how few resistors can damage sound so much.
I tried some cheap ($1000-1500) solid state preamps it was different or worse then direct. So in my experience good quality tube preamp is greatly recommended.