Direct By- Pass

There is a difference, most pre-pros will take the analog 2ch source like a cd player, send it through its digital processors, then to it's preamp section, even when you use the RCA style input. The music is getting converted twice, once from your cd player or dac and then through the preamps A/D chips. Unless it says true analog by-pass this is whats occuring.

Direct by pass refers to bypassing the digital section of a HT pre/pro, it's a feature of the multichannel processer. HT bypass is found on a integrated amp and allows a HT pre/pro to bypass the integrateds pre section, to use it like a 2ch amp when watching movies. Then you can use the integrated amp normally while listening to 2ch sources like cd, without having to disconnect a bunch of wires to watch a movie.