I was in a similar situation a few years ago. I had been using a Ayon CD5S tube CD player as a preamp and DAC (for which it was highly rated) to my Gamut D200i and Salk Soundscape 8 speakers. I had always felt I wasn't getting the best out the amp and speakers with that setup, so when the Ayon's Philips CD-Pro2 transport died I used it as an excuse to get a VAC Renaissance Mk V preamp. The VAC made a dramatic and immediate improvement even while I continued to use the Ayon as a DAC. Last year I added Holo May KTE which took the system to a whole new level. So at least in my experience, the Gamut does benefit from higher quality front end components. I should also note that I did try with several different interconnects after adding the Holo May and ultimately went from single ended to XLR, but the cables had a minor impact compared to adding a quality preamp and DAC.
Terry