The future of preamps

I hope my preamp doesn't get wind of this conversation...nobody needs an angry component.

The loss of transparency introduced by the preamp needs to be counterbalanced by other sonic benefits.

Actually if the preamp is working right, most people experience an increase in transparency, not a loss. I have already mentioned one reason why; an additional one is that many digital controls don't work that well. So the digital device works better if run at full volume, run through an active line section and the preamp's volume control is used instead.

Ralph (Atmasphere), thanks for the link and the comment about CAST. I see what you mean, and I agree. So I have no idea what the 18 volt figure mentioned by Audiolabyrinth would pertain to. That figure does not appear anywhere in the manual, btw, which includes a fairly comprehensive set of specs.

Perhaps it was a miscommunication he had. I would expect that 18 volts into that amp would stand an excellent chance of destroying the speakers, the amp, and the eardrums of anyone nearby, if a fuse didn't blow first :-)

Regards,
-- Al

One way or another, there has to be sufficient gain to go from line level, or phono cartridge level, to eventually be able to drive loudspeakers, such that any stages prior to the final power amp gain stage should be considered as preamp. So, in my logic, preamps will always be required as long as we are driving louspeakers.

They'll evolve and stick around for a good while but I would not invest in analog ones. Various forms of digital pre-amps have a healthy future in store still I suppose in various forms only a small % of which will remotely resemble what most of us would recognize as a traditional hifi analog pre-amp.