Parasound A-23 or Parasound HCA 2200

One more thing:  I love this site.  Everyone is so knowledgeable and helpful.  Thank you everyone for your comments so far.

In case anyone is still following this thread:  I swapped out the interconnects and ran it some more and it seems to be OK now.  I don't know if the issue was actually the interconnects or if the unit just needed more warm up, but it has been working and sounding nice (even with no preamp) for about a week now.  

Wifey wants to go on vacation, so the preamp purchase is on hold for a month or two. 

I probably will have the unit looked at, and I bought some better interconnects.  (Oxygen Free Copper with crimped connections and specific resistance -- not real esoteric  but at $50 for .5 meter used, they are at a good price point for me)

Parasound will service their amps.   It might be worth finding an email address on their website and emailing them to ask about costs of replacing caps on your 2200, maybe include pics.  If caps show signs of leaking, they will eventually become an issue.

Parasound is on the west coast, so it might be too expensive to ship if you're on the east coast.  Their website, under the Support tab, lists authorized Parasound service centers, I'd pick one close to your location if you're on the east side of the country.  

As for a pre amp, the Parasound Classic 2100 is well thought of for its price point and can be had used for close to your budget.   Also, the Emotiva USP-1 might be an option.  As well, Old Adcom and Nad pre's might also fit the bill.