I pretty much disagree with most all that you said - though obviously you've significantly more experience than me.
One way to demonstrate at least a sufficient-enough level of dynamics is by a system’s potential or perceived PRAT. IOW, no dynamics, no PRAT. But I think this video is a reasonable-enough demonstration for just that. If you give it some juice.
BTW, in time past I might have agreed with most of your post above. But in 2014 I took possession of a $2500 pair of Class D monoblock amps @ 575wpc to replace my $8k integrated amp @ 185wpc. And since I'd long since sold my last pre-amp I was left with no choice but to temporarily use my new OPPO's passive volume attenuator. Prior to this, I'd sworn I'd never waste my time with another passive pre. Since 2014, I've sworn never to go back to an active pre again and I've still got the same config today.
Apparently, what's not so commonly known is, without an amplified gain stage, the presentation requires significantly greater amplification at the amp stage. As a result I'm confident I'm getting a more genuine sense of the live performance as all the music remains up on the soundstage while my ears remain planted firmly in the audience.
The dynamics are still there, they're just all up on the soundstage where they belong with the rest of the music and no longer are they a bit in-my-face so-to-speak. And with at least some passive pre's, the potential to exhibit more pristine and even more delicate notes becomes possible. IME. And I'm guessing the reason for this greater potential for pristine and delicate is when we eliminate the amplified gain stage, we've just eliminated another source of distortions because presumably anytime the input signal is amplified that amplifcation process induces more distortions. IOW, as distortions are reduced, everything potentially becomes a bit more pristine and delicate or a bit more musical. But I'm guessing.
So at least in my limited experience with only one such config under my belt, a passive pre config with significanly higher amplification provides a potentially more genuinely musical presentation - dynamics and all.