Where do I go from here?

@auxinput -- The tweeter wasn’t really the issue or stated as being more pronounced. In this case the entire soundstage presentation appeared more right in front and visceral -- much like sitting in the first row of a performance.

@wisciman99 -- Auxinput addressed the basic connection above, but since you’re new to this I’ll add some more detail in case it’s still a little confusing. The new integrated would be hooked directly to your front L/R speakers and your highest quality stereo source would also be routed into any line input on the integrated (let’s call it the "CD" input) -- really just as if it was a standalone 2-channel setup. Now, to incorporate the HT/Marantz into the system, everything stays exactly the same as it is now on the prepro (don’t even change the channel balance levels) except the front L/R RCA preamp outs from the Marantz get routed to the "HT Bypass" input on the integrated. Believe it or not, that’s it -- you’re done. And here’s the best part --to listen to stereo choose the "CD" input on the integrated, and to watch TV/movies just hit "HT Bypass" on the integrated. That’s it. Pushing just one button completely and seamlessly switches between 2-channel and multichannel, and ONLY the integrated is in the system for stereo (the Marantz is completely out of the chain). Best of both worlds. Almost hard to believe, right? I and many others on this site have done this with great success.

As for the Hegel (and I’d definitely choose the Hegel over the Halo Integrated), it really depends on your budget. The improvements in the 190 vs. the 160 seem to be more refinements than a complete overhaul from a sonic perspective, plus some added streaming/automation features that may or may not be important to you. Right now there’s an "as new" open box 160 available from a dealer for $1790 (maybe with full warranty) that I’d find pretty hard to pass up since you can probably sell it for little or no loss if for some reason you’re not thrilled with it. (If you’re interested in this I’d move quickly as it’ll likely go fast if it’s not gone already -- again, likely very little risk with this). The 190 is $2995 here, but whether it’s worth almost 70% more for the latest and greatest is up to you. Personally, I think you’ll be very happy if not thrilled with the improvements from the 160, so I’d do that and pocket the $1200 difference.

Sorry to be so long winded, but hope it helps.

Ahhh, the light goes on.  You guys are a TON of help.  So, basically, it breaks down to either the Hegel 160 or the Parasound integrated dually sourced from the DVD/CD player or HT, or, if I want to use the Marantz pre, I've looked into the Bryston 3B-SST, with a 20 year warranty and wonderful reviews, or perhaps the Anthem MCA-225 as dedicated 2 channel amps.  All of these are in that $1500-$2000 range, and I REALLY wish there was a way to audition them all, :-(

Just to be clear, you’d still be using the Marantz for HT (and multichannel music) duties, it just wouldn’t be involved in critical 2-channel music duties.

Well, I’ll weigh in with my own personal experience, which is why I responded to this post in the first place. First, especially among people newer to the audio sickness, the stereo preamp is possibly the most under-appreciated component as to how much it contributes to a 2-channel system’s ultimate performance. A while back I was using my Rotel RSP-980 prepro (not a bad piece in its day either) in the same way you’re planning to possibly use your Marantz, and it worked well with my McCormack DNA-0.5 Rev A stereo amp (pretty much comparable to a Bryston 3BSST BTW). But the first time I substituted a good stereo preamp for the Rotel for 2-channel listening there was absolutely no going back. Feeding a very good stereo amp with the stereo preamp section of a $1500 prepro is most likely going to cause a significant bottleneck in your 2-channel sound. Think about it -- you just can’t economically put high-quality (or properly shielded) parts into the stereo preamp section of a $1500 prepro, not to mention that the fragile, low-level source signal is going to be routed through a noise-polluting electronic obstacle course with all the additional electronics involved in the various functions of a prepro. Believe me, I get it how nice it would be to use the prepro to do it all. Been there done that. Audiophiles who want to do that spend many thousands more on their prepros to get a truly good stereo preamp section (think Krell, Anthem, Theta, Classe, etc.). A $1500 prepro? Sorry, just doesn’t add up. Please take it from someone who’s been there. Now, if you get a good stereo amp now with the intention of adding a good stereo preamp later, that could be a very good plan as well. But it will take longer, be considerably more expensive, and add yet another box to your system. This is why I thought a good stereo integrated was such a nice fit for your particular situation. One and done on the relative cheap. OK, I’m done. That’s all I got. Best of luck in whatever you decide.

Thanks again, and in the FWIW column, I am definitely leaning toward the Hegel.  If I opt not to do that, I will eventually be upgrading the Marantz, for sure.  I won't say cost is no worry, but I can find a little here and there when I need it (by selling something usually, lol).