Best Preamp - NO preamp... (?)

I have tried many passive, direct dac, and active preamp,and vacuum tubes do
Sound more realistic and natural per dollar then a solid state model ,there too there are exceptions if you gave the $$.vacuum tubes give you more bang for the buck.
Active gain stage on a good quality preamp over  $3k has better detail and 
Dynamic range when the volume goes up the whole performance should stay rock steady. I have listened to transformer based passive preamps that are very good 
Like U.K based Billington and Steven's very good but over $4k.
Having the ability to operate a audio store while in Europe and play with all the options was very interesting. I have yet to hear a direct feed from digital converter
That has the slam and control as with a quality preamplifier, DCS Edgar another exception great build and sound quality but pricy.

Just to clarify.   I have heard it explained that The volume control in the Ps audio DS (I'm a dealer) is digital up until 50 - from 50 to 100 it is analog.  as Robert Deuch found it sounds fantastic and close in sound to the Cat preamp.   Well as good as the DS is - the reports from Paul at ps audio is that the BHK preamp is significantly better in all respects.   he's a straight shooter and these days won't release a product that doesn't live up to his expectations.   He spent years developing a hypex based amp with custom front end, and scraped it because there were better out there. 
audio doesn't always make sense.  One would think less parts means better sound but it doesn't always.  
Bascom king who measures electronics for a magazine once tested a ss amp from a DAC manufacturer that measured much lower in distortion than any other - but it didn't sound good.  
Paul McGowan was against using a tube input and in fact planned to offer a solid state input and and tube as well (ss on a tube socket) but once he heard the tube input he had to throw out his preconceptions and just build his new amp with tube input only.  

I prefer no preamp. MSB Analog DAC direct to Pass Labs amp. Previously i had Wadia 521 DAC direct to amp. I tried a few notable preamps which robbed the sound of pinpoint imaging and timbral purity.  The MSB volume control is better than the Wadia. With the Wadia the volume control needed to be above 67. I could adjust the output gain on the Wadia to match the amp in order to use volume control from 67 to 100.     The MSB has high resolution from very low volume. 

At the advice of my most experienced audiophile friend, I bypassed the preamp about a month ago, and I'm going directly into a power amp from my Benchmark DAC2.  It's sounding wonderful, and I don't know why I'd want to add anything else to the chain. I'm not even going to buy the preamp that goes with the amp, even though I can get a good price on it. 

@ alfa 100

Hi alfa, just letting others know that with the Wadia 521 you can change the gain setting ratio inside with switches or links, so then you can use it’s volume control above 65 with no "bit stripping". As "bit stripping" happens with any dacs digital domain volume control if their not used above 75% of full.
All sources with digital domain volume should have this feature, but sadly they don’t, that’s when a good passive pre is needed for the next possible best sound.

Quote from Wadia

We strongly recommend that you use your Wadia 521 Decoding Computer connected directly to your power amplifier. Even if you purchased your Wadia 521 Decoding Computer with the intention of connecting it to your preamplifier, we suggest that you try direct connection to your amplifier. Many listeners are surprised by the improvement in performance over even the most expensive preamplifiers.

Optimizing the Output Level Best performance is obtained when operating the Wadia Volume Control near the top of its range. If needed, the maximum output level of your Wadia 521 Decoding Computer can be adjusted to match the overall sensitivity of your system so that the critical listening will take place with the volume control operating in near the top of its range.
The maximum output level of the Wadia 521 Decoding Computer is adjustable by means of a set of internal switches. The Wadia 521 Decoding Computer is factory set to accommodate the most common range of system sensitivity. If you find that your typical volume level during critical listening is below 65 on the volume display, it will be advantageous to use a different setting. To change the output level, consult your dealer.

Wadia do know what their talking about, being the fathers of high end dacs and cdp's.
Cheers George