Is a DAC to Amp hook up better??

Just to satisfy a curiosity of mine last night, I decided to hook my Esoteric D70 DAC directly into my McIntosh 501 Monoblocks using a 3 meter pair of Stealth Metacarbon IC’s this was done since the 1 meter Stealth Indra I use going from the DAC to preamp are too short.

What I experienced was going directly into the monoblocks from the DAC, the sonics, resolution and transparency all improved at least 25%, I began trying to figure out how to reposition some equipment so I could listen with a direct feed using the Indra, however it just will not work.

The question I have is, has anyone experienced this type of ordeal or heard of anyone who prefers going from DAC to amps not using a preamp. Does the preamp introduce that much noise or is there something else I need to consider?

I am baffled at how much my system improved without the preamp. Previously I felt it sounded superb with a preamp, however I had not heard the system since the RAM mods were done to the Esoteric P70/D70 using a direct feed. Just when I thought I may be almost there, I find out there is so much more to do.

Give me your thoughts/opinions please. Thanks