I’ve never seen this mentioned here on any forum.
This is for anyone looking for a good quality stereo pre-amp. While seeking a substitute for an ailing preamp recently, I accidentally stumbled upon an inexpensive source for quality preamps. It turns out many not very old, high end, but obsolescent HT receivers have fabulous stereo preamp sections hidden inside. Just make sure the unit has pre outs for the front speakers and a bypass or direct mode to exclude the HT processor from the signal path. They can be had surprisingly cheap. They are heavy and shipping cost can be high but the purchase price can be surprisingly low for a correctly functioning unit. This includes high end models from pro logic days.
JIC I am not the last one to know this.
Adams