Are Pre-Amps necessary?

FWIW, and at the risk of appearing wishy-washy and probably not satisfying parties at either end of this discussion, I think both those opposing ends are both right.
 On the one hand, for some active line stages are liking rolling down hill with one foot on the accelerator and the other foot on the brake. Yet others are grateful that the accelerator is there at all.
 IMHO, most with existing systems will probably benefit from an active line stage. But, for those building systems, it would probably behoove them to seek out compatible gear that can do without an additional active stage. I’ve tried both ways in the past, and had a very slight preference for an active stage. But, I have confidence that with the more current available products that my future might very well be without an active stage, and I shop accordingly.

@unsound.

Exactly . The problem today is that it adds yet another compatibility issue in an already very difficult matching problem. One more variable can just make a misstep too easy. Assembling a high end system is too challenging for many people already, adding one more level of complexity can be too much.

If you have a lot of money and are ok committing to a single product line, or you like the challenge, it can be done.

It will become much easier in the future. Especially as analog dies out as a popular pursuit… which at some point it will… but look how much longer that has taken than anyone thought.

but look how much longer that has taken than anyone thought.

About 40 years so far and still counting... And now tape is back after a long hiatus. And we're already to the point where the industry doesn't want to make CDs anymore. For digital, streaming is rapidly becoming the thing; if you're into digital you might have a CD player, a streamer and a mulit-terrabyte drive with DAC... all with different output impedances.


Even if the LP dies, which I'm thinking might be about ten years (although there are still advances occurring in that field), active line stages seem to have their work cut out for them.


Now if you have a DAC with multiple inputs and a volume control on it, designed to drive an amp directly, the simple fact is you have a line stage with a DAC built in. But like it always works when you integrate things like that, if you want to improve the DAC, you'll be changing the line stage too...

For the vinyl guys, as many of my customers have found.

That even many stand alone phono stages these days, and there are many of them with low output impedance, and enough gain to drive the poweramp via a passive pre directly, that don’t need the extra gain of a mega dollar active preamp in the signal path, with it’s extra distortions, colorations and cost, and their systems sound better for it.

EG: just one is, PS Audio’s Stellar phono stage, it has a 72db!! of gain and lower than 200ohm output impedance, https://www.psaudio.com/products/stellar-phono-preamplifier/ this would be great for direct to poweramp via a $39 2 x switchable input 10kohm passive-pre like the Schiit Sys https://www.schiit.com/products/sys

Or if you want some tube or ss coloration, and still be able to use it passive as well, the $599 Schiit Freya
https://www.schiit.com/products/freya-s

Cheers George

Now if you have a DAC with multiple inputs and a volume control on it, designed to drive an amp directly, the simple fact is you have a line stage with a DAC built in. But like it always works when you integrate things like that, if you want to improve the DAC, you'll be changing the line stage too.

I have owned a DAC with a passive VC, but do not remember seeing one with an active stage.  I am surprised manufacturers of those DACs with VC don’t provide a unity gain buffered output.  Could be a second pair of output jacks, or maybe switched, passive/buffered.  The passive crowd wouldn’t see the need, but some might be surprised with the outcome of a direct comparison.