Is no preamp the best preamp of all?

There are very few great DACs and CDPs with truly exceptional volume controls and even fewer with analog volume controls. My experience in this regards is with the following digital devices, testing them direct to amps and also via preamps: Levinson 390S CDP, DCS stack, EMM Labs, Resolution Audio Opus 21 w/ GNSC mods, Audio Aero Capitol, Esoteric SA-50.

Trebejo s right, they all perform better direct than through a bad preamp. Though, with a good preamp in the system, for the most part they all performed better than direct. But a good preamp is not so easy to come by! Here are a couple of preamps that did not result in "better" performance for ALL of the players: Gamut 3Di, ARC LS16MK2, BAT 5 series (don't remember exact model), Cary SLP Series (don't remember exact model number).

I feel that with the Aesthetix Calypso (w/ upgraded tubes) and also a SF line 3, they all performed better with the preamp.

Based on your (OP) comments, it sounds like you are running through a Pre/Pro or HT Receiver, if that is the case, then I would suspect most any decent (not even great) product is going to sound better direct than going through the processor (even in direct mode).

Daverz, think of 2 cans with string connecting them. When the string is pulled tight and you talk into one can and listen to the other, the sound is more legible. Now take a few steps closer to the other person, the string sags. Now talk and listen again, it is more difficult to understand what the other person is saying. This is due to the loss of resolution, taken to the Nth degree, but still the same thing.

"as a clue, if you see a device that has fixed and variable outputs, then the volume control being implemented is most likely analog."

I disagree with this statement. As a percentage of CDPs and DACs with volume control (I don't know of any that do not offer both fixed and variable output when they do offer volume control internally) very few are actually analog volume controls.

Of the several that I have owned, Wadia (two different units), Esoteric (one unit w/ volume control, 2 unit without volume control), DCS, Audio Aero, Resolution Audio and Mark Levinson. The Levinson, DCS (if I remember correctly) and the AA had analog volume controls. The Logitech Duet that I own has a digital volume control. I can only think of a small handful of digital devices that have analog volume controls vs. digital volume controls.

But back to the key point. I am quite satisfied with my Esoteric SA-50's digital volume control 90% of the time. Due to the gain of it combined with my amplifier, I have to play it at the upper end of its range. In fact, even at 100% I feel I would be happy with a little more volume in some music. My problem only comes when I am listening to music more softly. But in reality, when this is the case, I am not critically listening anyway - so it sort of becomes a mute point.

For the record, I find this to be the case with analog volume controls (whether via the digital device or a regular preamp). If I am playing music softly, it is more likely just for the enjoyment of having music playing vs. critical listening.

So perhaps, if the OP is like me in terms of the sound volume levels, his concerns may be less of a real world issue, making this point mute (pun intended) to some degree.