That's lovelyHolo Audio Spring 3 looks like a nice piece of kit, but it will be pricier then Pontus + Pseparate preamp. Besides, I think that there is a sense in going the route of having individual units doing individual tasks. Thus separate DAC, separate PreAMP, separate PoweAMP. Besides it would give you more flexibility of mix'n'matching different components and more resilience in case one of the componetns breaks down.
So with regards to the PowerAmp I decided to go the Purifi way, but in a bi-amping setup. So ordered 4 channel "PURIFI MULTICHANNEL AMPLIFIER" from Apollon Audio.
The plan is to have (Pontus or Venus) DAC >>> Hades PreAmp >>> Purifi 4-channel amp
My conundrum actually comes from my desire to go separates as well ! Initially my intention was to merely work with integrates for Amplifiers and then that would be an easy match to the Denafrips DAC's.
However, I have been reading wonderful things about the Purifi Amplifiers and wish to explore trials with them - and the two shops in the US {vtvamplifier and buckeyeamp} build Amps with the Purifi module, but to the best of my knowledge do not include the Pre-Amps. Hence i am a bit stuck
Do you have experience with the Bluesound node 2 ? Apparently it has pre-amp functionality built-in
Also, did you get a chance to listed to Tarun's review on the Denafrips Hades & Thallo review ? which is nudging me to perhaps explore the next leg up that chain with Athena + Apollo