Preamps can color sound considerably. Surprising?

Not surprising in the least. They all have their own bespoke sonic signatures.

IMO all passably transparent preamps should have EQ of some sort. I tried the straight dac to amp and for some music it was pretty good…. But anything with a meaty midrange it was bright and kind of harsh. Very detailed though on an RME DAC. The dudes over at the science whatever site are all telling this is the way to go. I think there’s more to it than that personally.

when does the preamp’s additional voltage kick in? Most preamps in most systems are still used in attenuation mode, ime.

In attenuation mode, all a pre does is add distortion if impedances are properly matched.

All volume control systems, whether active or passive, attenuate the signal from a digital system. This is because the Redbook requirement is for too much voltage for the power amp so it has to be attenuated.

Passive systems can cause the source to make distortion depending on the value of the control in the passive. In addition they can introduce colorations since they lack the ability to control the cable. Successful passive setups are due to extreme care and/or very good luck!

The dudes over at the science whatever site are all telling this is the way to go. I think there’s more to it than that personally.

You are correct. The 'dudes' have yet to realize how an interconnect can influence the sound of a system if the variables around it are uncontrolled. This is where an active line stage can be quite helpful, in addition to superior volume control (over a digital volume control).

Yep,

Friday I bought a DVD/CD player for a friend at a rummage sale, $15..

Saturday a different friend brought his expensive CD player to compare with my Sony xa5400ES.

Both friends units directly to my Cayin Integrated Tube amp using it’s 6sn7s and 6sl7s for gain, KT88’s for power.

Both sounded very good.

Played my Sony, via McIntosh Tube preamp, bunch of 12...s, volume at 50 then off to the Cayin for remote volume via the 6’s. it sounded great. Just slighty preferred to the two others, but that is what I am used to and chose over others. Friend agreed it sounded darn good, no sense it was digital.

Next try my Sony direct to the Cayin. Without the mx110z, it sounded thin, not harsh or digital, just thin if you catch my description.

Next try friends fancy CD player via my mx110z: it sounded bloated, too much bass,

Taught me much unknown about my CD player and Preamp.

mx110z’s MM Phono stage always sounds better than any other phono stage I have compared it to.

Prior McIntosh SS C28 MM Phono sounded worse than any other phono I compared it to, so I sold it.

Mcintosh should do a line stage