Home theater bypass - pass through question

In my opinion, bypass and pass-through are the same. I've used both pre-amps and integrated amps with HT bypass (sometimes also called "processor loop") to good effect to consolidate my 2-channel system and HT system and use the same front L&R speakers. Works great and I've always felt it produced better sound quality than trying to use an multi-channel HT pre-amp/processor.

@reubent 
Are you describing where you used your 2 channel amp for the front end of your 2 channel listening AND the front end of your HT TV listening experience?

To clarify
 My intention is to keep my Denon HT receiver and get a preamp or integrated 2 channel tube rig for my 2ch listening.

@flavo  - Yes.

Set up your 2-channel system as normal. Run your 2-channel sources into your pre-amp or integrated amp. Same as any typical 2-channel setup.

For the HT portion, run interconnect cables from the L&R front pre-outs on the HT receiver into the HT bypass inputs of the pre-amp/integrated. Connect your center channel and surround speakers to your HT receiver. Connect your HT sources into the HT receiver.

To play your 2-channel system, just play it as you normally would. No need to even turn on the HT receiver. The play HT, turn on the 2-channel system and the HT system. Engage the HT bypass on the 2-channel system. Now the L&R front speakers will be powered by the amp of the 2-channel system and the center and surrounds will be powered by the HT receiver.

Don't forget to re-run your HT setup program after you've added the 2-channel system into the mix. If you don't the fronts won't be properly balanced with the other speakers.

Good luck. It can be a great way to have uncompromised 2-channel music sound quality and great HT too, all while only having one pair of front L&R speakers.

I went through a phase doing this, until I figured out the little bit you gain with surround is nowhere near worth the sacrifice in 2ch quality. Get four good subs and never look back. 

@reubent  Thank you so much for the help. Shoot me a PM and I'd be happy to send you my favorite ale or nipper or whisky :-)

@millercarbon Are you suggesting I replace my center and surrounds with subs? 
FWIW I already have 4 subs. 

@flavo  - I do enjoy a nice stout or porter. However, it's not necessary. I'm more that happy to help when I can.

@millercarbon Are you suggesting I replace my center and surrounds with subs?
FWIW I already have 4 subs.

Excellent. Its not so much suggesting replacing center and surround with subs. Obviously they serve completely different functions. The suggestion is more there are better results to be had with stereo than HT.

If all you are doing is watching movies and watching movies only then surrounds might make sense. Watching movies is primarily visual and so the loss in sound quality is hardly even noticeable. Especially since its never compared with anything but video sources.

You however are also listening to 2ch music. In this case surrounds and HT in general is full of downsides with not a single upside anywhere to be found. Already you are running into them. I fought them for years before finally realizing even the movies sound better with 2ch than surround. So my suggestion is transition from HT to 2ch.

For example you could right now have better sound simply by running 2ch from your video source direct to your stereo pre-amp, cutting out HT altogether.

As to your exact question, whether it needs to be on or not, yes this is just a design choice.

@flavo  - Hey Mike. Since you already have an amp/pre-amp and the 2-channel rig's front speakers, you can try the combo system now, using what you have. The only difference between using what you have now, is that you will need to set the volume control on your pre-amp to a pre-defined position, such as "top dead center" or "7" or whatever. Just remember that every time you choose the HT source, you'll need to set the pre-amp volume control to that pre-defined position.

So, with what you have today, remove the front L&R speaker cables and speakers from your HT receiver. Run a pair of interconnects from the L&R front pre-outs of the HT receiver into an unused line-level input on your 2 channel pre-amp. Turn on your HT receiver. Set your pre-amp source selector to the new input you are using for the HT front speakers, turn the pre-amp volume control to the pre-designated position, run your HT receiver's setup routine. 

That should have you set up to power your L&R front speakers via the amplifier and speakers from your 2-channel setup.

The only additional complication of this setup, vs having a pre-amp with an HT bypass, is you have to remember which line level input you used for HT front and you need to set the volume control to the correct pre-designated position when you play HT, or the front speaker volumes will be off relative to the surrounds/center speaker.

I hope that make sense to you. Anyway, it doesn't cost anything to experiment. If you don't like it, put it back the way it was before.

Good luck, and enjoy.

@reubent 
I didn't know that was possible and that's pretty awesome. However, I actually have a Lyngdorf 2170 integrated that has HT bypass right now. 
Sort of.
I bought it to replace my separates that didn't have HT bypass last month. I thought I was going to love it, and while it has some great characteristics that I'm going to miss. I needed to get another tube set up in here. Hence the questions on HT bypass. I wanted my new set up to have it.
I purchased Wally's last  Jolida fusion 6802 which has the bypass function, el34 tubes and a 6sn7 linestage. I'm hoping it will work well for me.
Oh, it has a nice solid metal remote too. :-)  

@flavo  - It should work fine. Did you find out if it needed to be turned on while using the HT bypass? If so, you'll have tube usage while watching HT stuff. That's the only downside of a tube based system used for HT purposes.

Good luck. I hope you love it.