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

@georgehifi,
we will have to disagree on that front.  my ears tell me otherwise and it isn't close.  

The existence of digital playback technology in a Music Reproduction System is not in any way, matter, or scope related to the need to a preamplifier in any meaningful, significant, or substantial way.  

+1,00000,000 very clearly said and to the point. clearthink .

I tend to over elaborate too much with technical reasons and it confuses some.

Always best to use as much as possible all of the sources output, for reasons of noise/hum/distortion/colorations regardless of what it is, even phono.

You don’t floor the accelerator on a super car (the source), yet keep your foot on the brake (the preamp) to get to the destination ( the power amp)

Cheers George

This topic, like many, has been spoken about, ad nauseam. But the truth is, having a preamp simply depends on 1 thing......  do you need the added gain, which is system dependent. I have not heard ( in my system ) a preamp at the 10K and above price range, but have heard, and have owned, several under 10 K preamps, that sounds less " clean ", than my top model Luminous Audio passive, being fed by my dacs, into any number of amplifiers I run. Speakers are horns,  over 100db, which makes a huge difference when needing, or not needing, additional gain.