Pre, Power and Integrated amps and noise

Hi folks,

One of the things I dislike about active monitors is background hiss from the amps running full tilt and volume control being done on the signal side.

Unless I'm mistaken, the same situation exists with Pre and Power Amp combinations - the volume control attenuates the signal from the preamp and the power amp runs full on all the time. Yest these are the more expensive configurations vs an Integrated amp.

I understand the history of the preamp and the requirement it fill(ed) to boost and/or standardize signals from phonos, mics and other devices before amplification. But we have pretty standard line out voltages today, especially in synergistic gear, for example from a single vendor.

So why would I opt for a pre- and power amp configuration today? What advantages does that offer over an Integrated amp? Are the decent power amps effectively noiseless today?

(Lets assume regular consumer hi-fi as opposed to commercial/studio scenarios.)

 

Being able to tweak and acquire/stack gear is a powerful motivator beyond mere sound quality. It feeds the nervosa when we are presented with endless potential combination. Those of us on the train to crazy town collect amps like pokemon.

As a side note though, a few power amps that have knobs on them actually have gain control rather than volume pots. In these cases, yes you want the source signal to be as strong as possible (without clipping the amp's input) while keeping the amp at moderate gain.

 

Advantage of some preamp is that you can get multiple inputs and outputs, it is useful if you have multiple sources. My M9 preamp also double ups as superior headphone amp just like the jothun/mj2 can be. You can also use mono block Amplifers with preamps.

Bad side: preamp adds some coloration to the sound and consume additional power.

 

A preamp's power supply requirements may be significantly different from a power amp's needs. It may be simpler to keep those separate, rather than try to shoehorn everything in together.

A big power amp may also be an electronically noisy space for the more sensitive components of a preamp.