Since your Denon has preouts, all you’d need to do is connect the front L/R preouts from the Denon to an input of your choice (or HT Bypass if it has one) on the stereo preamp and that’s pretty much it. Choose that input on the stereo pre when you’re doing HT and another input when listening to streamer, CD player, etc. That’s really all there is to it, and the AVR will be completely out of the signal path when listening in 2-channel.
One potentially very elegant and effective solution in your situation would be something like the Audio gd R28 preamp/DAC available at Underwood HiFi for only $1500. Not only would this get you a good stereo preamp but also a very good discrete R2R DAC that probably has sound characteristics very similar to the Pontus. Not sure, but Underwood may offer a trial period that’d obviously be very helpful. Add in ProJect Stream Box and for about $2400 total you’re all done and your stereo performance will be transformed. If I’m you this is what I’d do, and I think it’ll bring big improvements in tonality, musicality, soundstage, and overall refinement compared to what you’re hearing now. Again, FWIW.
One potentially very elegant and effective solution in your situation would be something like the Audio gd R28 preamp/DAC available at Underwood HiFi for only $1500. Not only would this get you a good stereo preamp but also a very good discrete R2R DAC that probably has sound characteristics very similar to the Pontus. Not sure, but Underwood may offer a trial period that’d obviously be very helpful. Add in ProJect Stream Box and for about $2400 total you’re all done and your stereo performance will be transformed. If I’m you this is what I’d do, and I think it’ll bring big improvements in tonality, musicality, soundstage, and overall refinement compared to what you’re hearing now. Again, FWIW.