[bart]

Originally Posted by Vintage Pete

Bart....I don't think my MX117 will have a "pass through" input as you describe. Any signal going through it will be subject to the preamp's volume and other controls.

However, from what I see looking at the back of that Marantz receiver, I may be able to use the Marantz as a the front end of the system, but still use my beloved McIntosh MC2125 amplifier for the front channels (using the marantz amplification for the remaining channels). I would be losing my MX117 (and likely the equalizer that resides in the system) but that's still better than losing two McIntosh components. I see some front channel outputs on the Marantz that I'm thinking could feed the MC2125.

Thanks for your input, I'm still thinking....

Pete, if you are or know a good DIY'er, you might be able to rewire one input to make it a passthrough.
But that might be a hassle.
I don't know how the preamp quality of that Marantz compares to your McIntosh.
Our Marantz prepro has a very good preamp, but we're talking of a different product category here.
Enjoy the journey!
Dreaming of things is already very nice.