Is pre-amp getting killed?

The new bel canto ex dac looks stunning, if it's in your budget I would for sure check it out. My Bel Canto dac 3.7 hits way above its price class. 

I like my ps audio DS dac with the bridge II. I looked at a lot of dacs and if the dac wasn’t fpga based, it was old technology and I skipped it. Every 6 months, I get an update that makes the DS sound better, and the current DS is rated in the top tier group.
i used the DS directly into my classe monoblocks and when I went with a new McIntosh c47 preamp, sound quality jumped for the better. 

I now now use an MSB Analog DAC with volume control and upgraded MSB power supply instead of my preamp. Sounds fantastic. I would think that “less is more” when it comes to the signal path, so because eliminating the preamp takes more cabling and electronics out, there is less to affect the signal...

My experience with using a DAC to drive an amp is this 
had a pair of vandy 2 with a Rogue cronus mag up graded my speakers to Quatros so I had to have a high pass filters put in to my integrated amp so while the guys at Rogue did their thing I borrowed an Aesthetix Atlas and drove it with my Ayer Codex both very respectable components used them with the Quatros sounded excellent then I got my Rogue back hook it up and the sound was astounding the different between the two was absolutely astounding you would had thought I just hook up the Aesthetix it was that different so you are kidding your self thinking that driving an amp with a DAC is the best sound from your amp the Aestheix is a much much better amp but all amps need to be drive with a preamp
my next up grade will be an amp and preamp  

Good Listening