$4000 budget for amp and preamp

Hi all,

Been a while since I posted here...  Been searching the hell out of AVS, ASR and Agon and I can't decide on next steps for my system.  My 2-channel set up has been, for a few years now, QoBuz > Audirvana > Wadia Di122 > Simaudio i-3 > Totem Rainmaker.  This sounds pretty solid in my 10' x 10' home office.  I've been trying to listen more in my living room since I bought a new house.  I've got my older HT there - Streaming or PS3 > ifi DSD or Simaudio D100 > Integra 50.2 > and my new Revel F35's + SB 1000 Pro (plus a Wharfedale center that I picked up on the cheap because wifey liked that it was the same color as the F35's).  I'm pretty satisfied with this set up - but really just for HT.  I'd like to make this my main listening room and I'm wondering if I should just switch to a 2.1 set up.  

I've tried my i-3 with its HT bypass > Integra and I wasn't impressed. I really couldn't tell the difference, to be honest. I tried Direct, Stereo and my native 3.1 with various sources.  I have six Acoustimac 2x4 foot panels that I've yet to hang.  I tried this with and without Audyssey, Dynamic EQ, etc.  

So.  2-channel with a nice amp and pre combo - maybe SS amp with tube pre (+ remote)?  I'm good with used and have always loved the thought of owning an AR tube preamp, but I haven't heard one in such a long time. I was thinking of going a couple different ways.  On the lower end, two Schiit Vidars and a balanced preamp?  There's a mint LS17 SE listed here for $2,200 and I could stretch to allow another $2k for an amp.  I'm also wondering how modern preamps stack up to the older AR models.  Or, should I be looking at something like the Parasound P6?

If the Benchmark AHB2's were available, I might have already pulled the trigger.  Anyway, I'm spinning around here trying to figure out this first world problem.  I've got a 14 X 12 x 11' ceiling room and I listen to rock and hard bop most of the time.  I think I'm okay with the F35's and I'm glad I didn't spend a couple thousand more on the Klipsch Fortes that I so desperately thought I wanted.  When I had a chance to audition them, I thought they were just awful.  To be fair, the room was a warehouse, they were about 5' apart and they were hooked up to a Denon AVR.  

If I got this set up right, I'd probably spend about 80% of the time with music and the other 20% with Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.  After rereading this, I'm not sure what I'm even asking because there's so much information.  Maybe it's how can I best spend $4,000 for the F35's?

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.