No preamp?

I struggled making this decision to go direct from Dac to amp and here is where I am at:

I gave up my much loved Hegel h360 and replaced it with the Coda TS v2 , direct to exasound dac. The Coda TS is exactly the same animal as the Coda continuum 8 reviewed by Terry London (minus the dials)

This was a very compelling review and I am thrilled that I went this way.

https://hometheaterreview.com/coda-technologies-continuum-no-8-stereo-amplifier/

Although the Hegel is an obviously great performer, it was not quite to my taste.  I respect what it was able to do and clearly there is synergy with my kef reference1's.  Having said that, there isn't a single area were the hegel bested the Coda, except for possibly soundstage. My suspicion is - and this is hugely naive - that the lack of preamp may be the reason for this, however I have no idea.

I believed the Hegel was quite neutral and organic, however it is not. Slightly lean and laid back, with awesome transparency and a "clean presentation", that was a little dynamically challenged. I thought the low midrange on my Kef reference 1's is a weak spot in an otherwise brilliant speaker. This is where I heard the most profound difference.  

The kefs are now "dynamic" and from the mid bass down everything improved and came alive.  It is like a pillow (a very small pillow) was taken away to produce a more open and full sound. Clearly the class A bias in the Coda makes a difference.

Next step is hearing how integrating a pre may possibly improve what is easily the best sounding, and simplest, home system I have every owned.

Would love some preamp suggestions, or general comments. In the above review the microzotl mz2 headphone amp was used with the Coda, so that is an obvious starting point, but I am sure there are other cost considerate suggestions that make sense.

Any thoughts as to a pre, or am I just wasting my time?