Any thoughts on removing a preamp from your system

Hello Herb, I have tried to remove a preamp from my system several times over the last 20 years or so. Either by going direct from source to amp or using a passive control unit. Basically, all I really learned from my experimentation was just how important a preamplifier can be in the overall sound of a system.

I have found that preamps can be the most difficult part of a system to get right, but when you do, it's stunning, as Alan (Arh) has also noted. At this point, I do not plan any further experiments without preamps, in fact now I believe the preamp to be the heart and soul of the system. As usual, YMMV.

Amp should have high input impedance and sufficient input sensitivity to suit passive preamp.

It is something I want to try as well sometime.

1) I like the simplicity of the solution for the task at hand
2) I am curious how things might sound if done right
3) I like the small size and low price

For now, I have 4 decent quality pre-amps to tinker with as needed and I have seen that all have been capable performers to meet my needs. They are all a tight fit in my enclosed audio cabinet however, a minor inconvenience when it comes time to dabble mostly.

I thought, with the Aesthetix Io with volume, even upgrading to Eclipse and dual power, that I would be safe -- no need for a preamp. I was wrong. I strongly suggest you listen to a good preamp in your system before going too far down the "direct to the amps" road. At least, in my case, even with a superlative source, it did not work out.