Is there any Streamer/DAC/Preamp good enough to replace a dedicated standalone preamp?

I have the PS Audio DSD.  I though I might get away with eliminating a component and I was wrong.  It's preamp stage will not match the CJ.  It is fine and is better than entry level preamps but won't hold up against a really good one. . 

I also have the PS Audio Directstream (Jr.), and agree, it won’t replace a good preamp.

You have an ACT 2 - not many preamps will beat it let alone an all in one solution with a software volume control.

Phomchick, you are under a couple of false assumptions.

1: A straight line with gain is desirable

Answer: Sometimes no it isn't.

If the dac with volume control makes the system sound sterile and going through a good tube preamp adds some warmth that makes the sound much more enjoyable how is the straight wire with gain that makes you not want to listen to the system a bad thing? Sometimes adding the right colorations are a good thing.

2: The dac may not have a real preamp stage, sometimes you get a decent digial attenuator that does bit restriction to change volume, others use a digital volume control which is discrete resitors on a chip, while others use a potentiometer, while others could use switched resistors with realys to open and close the resistors.

So unless the "volume" control is really good that dac/preamp may actually alter the sound going through it via the volume control.

3: Many dac/preamp aren't real preamplifiers but are just the output stage of the dac with a volume control and therefore may have difficulties driving an amplfier or longer cable runs optimally.

Dave and Troy
Audio Doctor NJ