Who needs a Preamp??

I used to think no preamp is better, until I heard a Backert rhumba 1.2., this preamp will tell you, you need one, this preamp has a huge soundstage, with amazing 3D, I tried to buy their discontinued rhumba model or demo? All gone.

I think you have to look at the evolution of the home music reproduction system to understand the Pre-amp's role.  It is the result of the need for a single point of control and access. It was about control as in signal path switching, balance and 'tone' alterations, level setting,  It also provided a cost effective and systemically benign location for an RIAA equalizer and some additional gain for it.  In those days the production of music sources and the recording technology combined with early component left a lot to be desired. The need to 'balance' the early stereo effect was present along with the need for the classic Base and Treble personalization of the listening experience - It all resided in the Pre-amp.

Times have changed a bit.

Ralph (Atma-Sphere) i got great sound with a Townshend Allegri+ with a pair of your mono's, one of the best sounds i have heard.

The Townsend is a Transformer Volume Control rather than a simple passive (potentiometer)- a bit different in principle than what has been discussed here so far.

If the output of the source is direct coupled then passive controls have a better chance of working. This is one of the reasons you see so much variation in user experiences.

Passive or Active I believe that the volume control is the componet 
that one should be evaluating .
I have noticed that many passive pre tend to use stepped resistor VC
and many active pre tend to use either Alps or Burr Brown electronic stepped VC . 

I have experienced an Active pre with an Alps VC 
and that same pre with a stepped resistor VC , Stepped won !

I am currently using a Goldpoint passive pre  .

I would love to use DAC-amp directly and save on the preamp, XLR and power cables, and save some rack space and free an outlet. But truth is that in my system adding a preamp (Wyred 4 Sound STP-SE stage 2) made a lot better sound than going direct. Specially on dynamics.