In theory I agree with you Rich. Of course, following that logic to the extreme means no preamp is good.
I had a buddy over recently, not swapping gear but listening. I said "check this out" and played a cut from Dylan's Blood on the Tracks then switched preamps. This is not an audiophile recording, not even a good one really.
He knew what I switched but I didn't tell him what to expect. Nevertheless he described the same differences I would have. The one I would describe as less resolving, less neutral, more colored, more editorial, more noisy was unquestionably able to make that recording sound like real music. It was human, organic, communicative, and integrated.
My mom who knows my system well commented last night how completely right the "bad" one sounds - like real people in a band, and how well the important parts were served. She noted that some of the back corners of the recordings might possibly be obscured but how much better the music spoke. I also didn't advise her what to expect but again, that's perfectly aligned with how I would describe the differences.
I want to buy into the "complete neutrality" ideal, but my purely reactive emotional brain consistently rebels.