Nope. The pre-amp is not a thing of the past. At least not to my ears, and boy did I want it to be (unnecessary that is)!
Apologies to @Richard.Dane who told me straight out not to connect the NDX 2 straight into a power amp. He was dead right. Haven’t tried the 252, so I can’t speak to that, but I’ve had my new PrimaLuna DiaLogue Premium hooked up for five hours now and it’s an astonishing difference.
I had suspected the lack of preamp was the reason I wasn’t enjoying orchestral works as much as before. Also why some pieces seemed distant, as thought at the end of a tunnel. All that’s gone now.
Astonishingly, the width of the soundstage is improbably large. At risk of sounding like one of those reviewers, the orchestra extends past the edges of my speakers. Not sure how that works! It’s really something.
I’m in love.