This is for Georgehifi especially but others can chime in.

I could not agree more with George hifi about the virtues of passive pre'amps' that are not even amps of course. In the old days, with sources of highly varying but often pretty low output level (plus phono that needed riaa equalization as well) you needed a pre amplifier to get all those different sources at the same level. On top, the preamp gave a switching facility and tone and balance control. These days, if you are only using digital sources such as disc players or a DAC, you usually have all signals at the same 2.0V of the Red Book standard, which happens to be the input sensitivity of many power amplifiers. If you are using a computer as a source, and a  DAC with variable output, you can do the tone and balance control on the computer (and more precisely than on a traditional pre amp). So depending on the sources that you use, you can save a lot of money, and get marginally better results. I am very pleased with my very simple desktop system: computer, ODAC, Emotiva Control Freak volume control, some inline attenuators because my Quad 40-5- amplifier has an unusual 0.5 Volt input sensitivity. Cost of the electronics: $125+$50+20+$200 (second hand, but refurbished) = $395. Speakers are Harbeth P3ESR, and hence by far the most expensive component.

@cleeds I agree completely. But, for example, when the same poster repeats the same few claims again and again, and insists that those who disagree provide data, and accuses those who disagree with believing in "magic," it’s pretty clear there’s an agenda beneath it all. And it isn't the passionate and objective pursuit of science.

 Actually that would exactly be the passionate and objective pursuit of science....

 How do you quote somebody in this forum now? 

@georgehifi  i will take a flyer on the Freya and see. You are a gentleman, sir. Sorry about my poor grammar in the post. Voice texting.