I'm going to jump in on the pre amp side of this debate. I have tried mines extensivley both ways. Call it a fondness for coloration or what ever. IMHO my Wadia sounds better through a pre amp. Which allows me to contour the music for my room. Also as you may know you don't get the full sound of a Wadia unless the volume is maxed out. So with a pre they recommend setting the volume to max, then using your pre to control the volume. In any event there are so many varibles that you have to decide for your self. Happy listening.
Woodman
Woodman