The basic function of a power amplifier is gain, i.e. output voltage = input voltage x gain.
By changing the gain, one can adapt the amplifier in order to obtain the maximum output voltage (as a consequence the maximum power) according to the capabilities of the upstream component.
As you saw, the standard setting by Hypex is 2.6 V sensitivity and 26.5 dB gain. This means that the amplifier needs 2.6 V at it's input to deliver it's max power into 8 Ohm. 26.5 dB gain means a multiplication factor of 21.13 between the input and the output. Vout = Vin x 21.13.
If you take the x8500h pre out, it is able to deliver a maximum voltage of 2 V. When using the standard gain setting, 2 x 21.13 = 42.27 V RMS.
P = V x V / load = 42.27 x 42.27 / 8 = 223 W. Which is plenty of power, but not the max power that the amp can deliver.
People who would like to be able to reach the max power with a pre delivering 2 V can choose the optional buffer that offers a gain of 28.8 dB.