I assume that you are looking to eliminate your preamp. I have tried this also, especially as I enter my stage of minimalism. All the feedback you received is accurate. We all hear things differently and have different systems, so there is no one right solution until your ears and brain say yes. You need to experiment and there are options. (1)Wait. Several manufacturers are supposed to introduce new CD players in the near future with volume controls. CAL had a nice unit 10 years ago, all the others today are expensive. (2) EVS ultimate attenuators mounted on the inputs of your amp with the interconnect from the CD going directly to them. They work quite nicely. You just have to have your amp located so you can reach over it to adjust the volume. (3) Creek OBH 12. In a recent converstion with Stan Warren, he mentioned that at a Chicago Audio Society meeting they AB'ed a BAT preamp against the Creek. Yes, there was a slight reduction in sound stage and airyness, but in the end, most people liked the Creek very much. It is cheap and has a remote control. (4) Depending on your CD player, Creek also has the OBH-14 which is a DAC with passive preamp/volume control. Decide what you really want to do and then listen to the options. You can buy the Creeks and turn them around very easily, so you loose little or nothing. If you pursue one of these options, you may also need to be preared to change interconnects. Happy listening and have fun.
Volume Controls for CD Players
I have heard that there are a few different ways to implement a volume control function. Some have noise problems and others are non-linear at reduced volume settings, from what I've been told. Also, the fidelity may be degraded by the manner in which the remote control functions. Comments? Happy Tunes!