Best Preamp - NO preamp... (?)

Here is the Colloms rating. The only one almost the same was the very top ARC and it was a very little worse.
Conrad Johnson Premier 14 39
Conrad Johnson Premier 16LS 49
Conrad Johnson Premier 18 28
Conrad Johnson Sonographe fet pre 15
Conrad Johnson 18LS 30
Conrad Johnson PV10 B 28 (line)
Creek OBH -15 MM, MC phono 35, 19
Creek OBH 22 passive (load sensitive) 39
Creek OBH 21 Headphone amp 40
Cyrus Phono (PSU) 28(35)
Edge Signature one (battery) 37
Electrocompaniet EC3 18.5 MC, 22 line
Exposure MCX 98
Halcro DM10 22 disc/26line
Jadis JP 30 (original series) 14
Klyne sk6 13.5
Krell Evolution One 120
Krell Evolution 202 70
Krell KSP pre 21
Krell KRC-2 22.5
Krell KCT 28 28
Krell KPS 28 35
Lehmann Audio Silver Cube 26
LINN Uphorik 98
Mark Levinson No 38s 33
Mark Levinson ML 26 20.5
Musical Fidelity MVX pre 12
Musical Fidelity MVT 13.5
Music First Reference Bal/SE TFR 180
Myryad MP 100 pre 15
Naim Prefix mc phono 45
Naim Superline mc phono- Hi-Cap 120
Naim Superlinemc phono Supercap, Supercap DR 145, 190
Pink Triangle PIP pre 18
Plinius Koru 15 MM/MC
Pro-ject Tube Box SE II Phono MC, MM 45,45
PS Audio GCPH 15
Roksan Platinum Phono Reference DXP SE 45
Roksan Platinum PR15B 20
Stevens and Billington transformer passive 33
Tag McLaren DPA 32 19
Thrax Dionysus 135
Thrax Orpheus 225
Townshend Allegri autotransformer 230
Townshend Glastonbury Pre 1 SE AutoTFR 195
Trichord Dino Mk2 MC phono 29 std supply, 33 NC supply
Van Den Hul Grail MC phono 65
XTC PRE II 80 (line)
YBA Pre 1 15.5
- See more at: http://www.hificritic.com/preamplifiers-and-phono-stages.html#sthash.gh4VAjUt.dpuf

I do this on my analog rig... I ran my PS Audio GCPH and now my Manley Steelhead directly to my amp, as they both have volume controls.  Sounds great, wouldn't have it any other way.  I also tried using a preamp to confirm what I was hearing and couldn't get it out of the chain fast enough.

I would be interested to see (hear) what a good, active preamp could do in your system. I went preampless for a few years and thought it was great, but the got a Jeff Rowland Criterion preamp and I realized all the midrange I was missing.  Preampless is a bit too sterile for me.  My preamp is the heart and soul of my system.  

I'll add my experience here with a similar situation. I am primarily an analog listener. Vinyl is number 1 for me, but I do listen to the odd CD. It is my only digital source. Both my turntable and CD player run through an Audio Research LS17-SE, although I do have a separate phono stage between my turntable and pre-amp. My CD player is a McIntosh 301 that has the ability to run direct to my amps as it has an attenuator control for this specifically. Out of curiosity one day, I decided to give it a shot, and see what differences I could hear. For my money the quality was superior WITH the pre-amp in the circuit. I was not impressed with the direct to amp configuration. My opinion for my musical taste only folks.

Cerrot, 
I understand  your point. Keep in mind that some will say that the Criterion midrange is merely added coloration from an active preamplifier. The sterility you describe is transparency to others.