Integrated vs. Separates on a Budget

Get the Yamaha A-S1200 integrated. The looks and sound of it are unmatched for 3k. If you want to tinker around with a separate preamp on a future budget, you can run it directly to it’s poweramp section.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1569201-REG/yamaha_a_s1200sl_integrated_amplifier.html/?ap=y&gclid=Cj0KCQiA8ICOBhDmARIsAEGI6o03k6PvnNe5dNGQ13qJASWhVPJ-ILuEmYZGtEDEdBNDlV9fhTVFJikaAqC7EALw_wcB&lsft=BI%3A514&smp=y

Just get a 2 channel power amp and use your Denon as a pre for 2 channel. You will be surprised how the dedicated amp helps your 2 channel come alive. You can also get a phono sound stage that can improve your vinyl and connect a dedicated DAC streamer for digital. I bought a Emotiva BAS-A2 (160 Watts per channel) for my Yamaha A-840 and it sounds great with my Tekton Lore Be's for 2 channel. It also lets you use the Audyssey setup and remote features from your Denon.

JUNGSON JA-1/JA-99C CLASS A at under $2000.

I realize this is outside your budget… but it might be something to go listen to and see if you think the stretch would be worth it. The new Audio Research I/50 integrated. A friend of mine has listened to it and it is great sounding (I really like their higher powered integrateds). This has a very similar sonic character. Buying new you can usually get help on spreading out the cost over time… like zero interest. Might be something to consider. I am a big Audio Research fan. 

I'm a big fan of the Marantz PM7000N. It's the most flexible, best sounding, reliable integrated amp available for $1200. Factory rated at 80w/ch into 4 ohms, it drive most demanding speakers like my KEF LS-50s and Magnepan 1.7s easily. It also a streamer, and has above average DAC and phono preamps as well as both preamp and subwoofer outputs.

While I can't fault the Chronus Magnum III in its analog performance, it has no digital capability whatsoever, so a streamer and DAC are still required to meet the modern definition of an integrated amp. And at 4X the cost of the Marantz. 

With that leftover change in your budget, you could step up to the $1000 class turntables like a Rega Planar 3 or Mo-Fi Studio Deck. And still have money left for a decent set of headphones or to take a chunk out of a speaker upgrade. 

It's all in about Vp = SQ/Sum(C1 ... Cn) * K. Value Perceived equals Sound Quality divided by the sum of your component costs * K, where K is the qualitative enjoyment factor. K is what allows someone to rationally drop an additional zero or two on the price of their system. Quantitatively, a $100,000 system isn't going to sound  10X better than a $10,000 system, so a qualitative factor accounts for that. Negotiating the value of K is also the foundation of achieving acceptable SAF (Spousal Accepance Factor) levels.