Are Preamplifier’s Relevant Today or just a Hinderance with Digital Playback ?

@in_shore,
Last look other members were lining up taking shots at him some suggested what he was actually hearing was nothing more then colorations he just discovered... I just went back to the topic and see every comment and reaction to his post was erased.

Yep, the dreaded "colorations" again. Told ya 😆😆.
Charles

So you are saying that running through a bunch of resistors, transformers and caps, to say nothing of connectors and extra sets of wire/wire's doesn't colour the sound by comparison to running direct?? I mean really?? I get it if you need multiple outs, and only run analog, but if your all digital, i'd run direct 100% of the time. All pre-amps colour the sound to some extent however pleasant you may find them. That said, it's anyone's prerogative in this sport do buy whatever they want to satisfy their own ears, but I would be careful to claim(not that anyone has) that pre-amps are in anyway more accurate, because to my ears they simply are not and i've owned many. 
Atmasphere
I would only run balanced, for me on my journey, i've simply found them better, and my system always seemed less cable dependent than single ended, the problem of course is that a fully balanced design, for both amps & pre's costs more, at least that's been my experience. Currently though, fibre optic into my integrated, speaker cables to my speakers, simple as could be, sounds better than ever.

Sorry for the long wind, back to your scheduled program,

Don

Hi Don,
You trust your ears and I trust mine, as a result we've reached different conclusions. You find your  preferred approach presumably more sonically accurate.  I find my approach more sonically realistic. We're  both happy and neither of us has to settle for the others choice. It works out fine.
Charles 

So you are saying that running through a bunch of resistors, transformers and caps, to say nothing of connectors and extra sets of wire/wire's doesn't colour the sound by comparison to running direct?? I mean really??

Yes. There is such a thing as being too simple, and passives are that. As I pointed out, if you get all your ducks in a row they can work quite well. One must always be careful to not construe personal anecdote as absolute. If you plan to go for the extra resolution available by running shorter speaker cables (this is particularly true if you are running tube amplifiers due to their higher output impedance)the passive/active thing becomes even more important. IOW we're talking about the coloration of the interconnect cables themselves; if you've ever auditioned cables and heard a difference you know what I'm talking about.

@brewmasterdon

So you are saying that running through a bunch of resistors, transformers and caps, to say nothing of connectors and extra sets of wire/wire's doesn't colour the sound by comparison to running direct??

Hi Don, I know you are talking to Charles but just allow me to briefly comment, while what you are saying is "logical" and BTW I agree on that statement with you, I have personally run direct from several digital sources to several amplifiers and these digital sources as you wisely mentioned have transformers (in some cases), resistors and caps as well. IME if the electrical parameters impedance, output / input voltages and such are not compatible, the sound will suffer, even with the direct connection. Of course I'm not trying to convince you as I respect your position, I don't consider myself a golden ears subject, just providing my opinion on which I agree with Charles mostly.
Now I know certain devices (May DAC with output buffer) are supposedly a very good match "direct" with amplifiers, I would love to hear it as I don't own a May DAC but I'm sure the results could be potentially outstanding, but again we are talking about a DAC with kind of an active output stage (preamp).
I'm not disregarding what you are saying it is just I haven't found a scenario yet that I empirically have tested that works this way, my testings have been limited to a few dacs and amplifiers only, none of the DACs with active output stages.

@charles1dad

You trust your ears and I trust mine, as a result we've reached different conclusions. You find your preferred approach presumably more sonically accurate. I find my approach more sonically realistic. We're both happy and neither of us has to settle for the others choice. It works out fine.

I agree on that Charles, it is all about personal opinions.

@atmasphere

As I pointed out, if you get all your ducks in a row they can work quite well

Hey Ralph, by "ducks in a row" you mean electrical parameters and compatibility between digital source and amplifiers?

One must always be careful to not construe personal anecdote as absolute

Right, agreed