Receiver used as a pre-amp?

You can try Creek OBH-10 remote volume control. It is passive unit with one input and one output. Better than many active preamp. www.audioadvisor.com has it for $250. If you want to purchase used one let me know.

As others have stated, if the receiver has preamp outputs
on the rear then of course it can be used as a preamp.
But why would you want to, when there are some very decent
used preamps available for $100 or even less. They will
totally out perform the Sansewage and should make you
relatively happy until you can afford the CJ. First on
the list is the NAD 1020 often seen on eBay for less than
$100. This is the best budget preamp ever and even today it holds it own in the under $1000 field. The 3020 integrated
and the 7020 receiver both have the 1020 preamp built in and have preamp outputs. Other Nad preamps can be had
for a song. The best are the 1155, 1300, 1000. Also great,
but harder to find is the Superphon Revelation, if you
could stretch to the $150-200 price range. The PS Audio
IV H, 4.5, 4.6 are in that range too. Not to mention all
the Yamaha and Onkyo units that would blow away the Sansui.
A little perseverance should turn up something good and
cheap. good luck.

I use an old Marantz receiver as a tuner by using the
tape outputs on the receiver hooked into an input on my
pre-amp and it works great.

As long as the receiver has preamp outputs you should be able to use it until you can get your CJ. Wally

good question. my dealer told me that i could use my integrated amp, however it had no pre outs... see on the back if you have a pre in or out.. if so, you should be in business, if not, you will probably have to wait on a pre amp, or , and i dont know alot about this, but my cd player has a volume control, and i can run my amp directly through it, however, it is a very high end cd player, and not all are capable of this.. check the back...