Best preamp is no preamp: always true?

It's interesting that Ed Meitner provides a full-function active preamp in his EMM DCC2 dac instead of a simple gain control.

My experience mimics that of Matrix, and that includes having run both the Audio Aero Capitole and the APL 3910 direct, two very fine CD players in my book.

I think there is only one theory: The moment signal left the source it is already degrading.
The active preamp helps restore some of the lost signals while the passive just let it flow through.

S23chang I think in theory and practice to our ears that could be very true. Also the fact that the meitner comment provides good proof to practice, as I would agree that should be as good as a seperate pre if not better in some case's

Thanks a lot guys, I am surprised to see that there seems to be a consensus around active PREs that easily...so, when people talk about passive PREs and how it maintain the integrity of the original signal "no more, no less", could it be that it is in fact "less" (degradation of signal)and also a little bit of audio snobbery to KISS when in reality the signal needs to be restored by some active mechanisms?