I've mostly used higher end tube gear but a while ago bought a 2230 and it was surprisingly good; not quite as good as an Audio Research SP3A-1 but for a fraction of the price including a very good sounding amp plus a tuner plus a wood cabinet plus it's pretty hard to go wrong.
Marantz as a preamp?
I have a Marantz 2230 hooked up to a pair of Paradigm Studio 20's as my setup (as well as a Music Hall MMF 2.1 turntable). I bought the speakers a few years ago and am now ready to start upgrading my amp. Any thoughts on pairing an amp and using the 2230 as a preamp? I've never had a separate amp/preamp combo. I was looking at something like the Nad 245bee for its bi-amp capabilities or maybe even a tube amp. Something in the $500-700 range. The idea is that I would eventually upgrade the preamp part. Thoughts?