@athrillofhope - Provided pretty much the last word on this.
The only thing I would say is that really good preamps can have an eye watering price tag attached. Even extreme versions of a passive can be as expensive as you feel the need. They can also be really cheap, like the Schiit sys - while decent, you still just get what you pay for. Better volume pots exist, etc. Their Saga+ pre in passive mode with remotely controlled switched resistor network is a better choice. That's what I currently use as a simple attenuator between a Schiit Bifrost II DAC and True Image CM2500 power amplifier.
On the fear of missing out...
For those on a shoestring budget like me,who want to play in the big leagues have to learn and build for themselves. The DIY audio community has a great Nelson Pass thread, featuring sporadic postings from Nelson himself who is an avid DIY proponent. After all, if there was no DIY, this hobby would have never bootstrapped.
You can spend the money on a chassis and components where it counts and build your own great pre. Keep your money where it belongs and stop funding someone else’s penchant for lazy days on the back 9.