I have both in a dedicated room. Both are great. Using a Classe pre-amp and amp for the two channel. Two channel sources including the DAC, CD player etc are direct to the Classe Preamp. When listening to two channel those (pre and power amps) are in use.
I use an Oppo player as the 5 channel pre amp with Apple TV input to the Oppo. The right and left channels from the Oppo are inputs to the Classe pre amp which has the option of using those inputs as a pass thru. Last piece is the other Classe amp used for center and surrounds......with inputs from the Oppo.
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One way to use a sub with those La Scalla’s (or any speaker) is to use Raven Preamps with their built-in optional Sub Out (80hz and below) to self-powered sub or another amp for sub; OR, bypass position for full signal to your amp.
....................................
In the case of efficient speakers, it is convenience.
In the case of inefficient speakers, it is a great way to use moderately powered tube amp, and move the low bass job (most power needed) to another amp.
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I have a multi and 2 channel system in my room.
It’s very easy if you have a 2 channel preamp or integrated with HT pass-through.
As @bkeske ^says^…
I picked up a used two channel preamp that has a pass through for the HT side.
I also picked a used HT AVP that is powering (currently) a 5.x system, which will ike morph to a 5.4.2 or 5.4.4.
The best place (In the room) for 2 channel is not where the TV is, so a TV lift system was acquired to put the TV out if site during the day and for 2-channel.
It all takes some planning and the layout of the room is multi purpose so that also is majorly WAF driven.
The surround speakers are the same brand as the two channel and I use the AVP to balance them with PEQ. So one may, or may not, want to mix-n-match…
(I sort of needed to keep em the same.)
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I love the OP’s gear with the Reference Premier line. Those speakers are so sensitive you could drive then with anything, you just need a big room to accommodate. The La Scala’s are classic and to integrate them with the Reference Premier I would simply call the local Klipsch dealer to make a house call, even if you pay him for his time at least it would be matched together well.
Now, if I were doing a Klipsch HT build myself I would be all over these. Love the size, the ease of placement, the flexibility:
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You can easily have both in the same space as noted by many. For the gear you have you can make it all work with a simple switch box, this takes care of your current equipment lacking HT Bypass. If you aren’t sure the type of box, there are several custom shops that specialize in making high quality boxes, switches based on your specific need, Pine Tree Audio is one. The only question I would have is how the those lovely horn, high sensitivity speakers will work in a HT application.
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I am using La Scala’s as my front left and right speakers. They are part of a 7.1 Home Theater system. The La Scala’s are powered by a tube amp. The surround speakers are powered by a solid state amp. The A/V processor determines the source and allocates the speakers accordingly. For two channel stereo music, I have tubes playing into the La Scala’s. For movies, the La Scalas are simply the front L and R speakers in a surround sound system. Works great for both music and movies. The La Scala’s are so sensitive that even with very low power tube amplification, you have plenty of power.
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^^^^^ I thought this was a HiFi forum 😲
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Let's not make this any more complicated than necessary. If the Onkyo has preamp outputs for the front two channels, feed those to the tube amp and connect the Klipsh speakers directly to the tube amp. Don't connect speakers to the L and R terminals of the receiver. Now you have tubes for two channel and the reciever handles the outboard channels, the center, and the subs. The preamps in the onkyo are likely better than the power output stages, so let the Onkyo make the source decicions for you. If you have good FM stations in your area, you may find FM is as good as CDs. A happy surprise! Happy Listening.
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Hey, I too have a multi and two channel rig in my living room. I use all tribe and analog for my 2 channel, and more modern great for multi channel. I have Klipsch corns matched with 6sn7 pre to el84 power amp, and use hi level sub. It is very dreamy and I would not go back. Now with that said the ht rig is no slouche. I use Maggie's all around in 5.1 setup with two large amps powering everything. Emotiva xmc2 for processing. I do use my dirac to eq everything and there's room treatments too. The Maggie's can be difficult with certain reflections on hard surfaces. So, my response to you here is that you may want to treat the room and give both rigs a good hard listen to make your choices. It could go either way but hearing about your 2 channel makes me think you'll want to keep both. Consider low powered tube if it's too bright for you at first. Hope this helps, cheers.
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I was struggling with the same issue. I decided that I would set up a home theater system and then add a two channel system off of front pre-outs of the HT receiver. I wasn't to do that because when listening to music I don't want all of the signal processing in the HT receiver. Also there are those who are saying that a good two channel integrated amp should should much better than a HT Receiver. With the right integrated amp you can use the HT Bypass option on the integrated amp to essentially tie it into the HT system.... and then when you want to listen to two channel music you can shut off the HT receiver and just use the Integrated amp. I also plan on plugging my streamer into the Integrated amp so that the HT Receiver is completely out of the mix.
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@kota1
Thank you for the suggestions, especially the upgrade for Audyssey. I have had that Denon AVR for a couple years but have never plugged it in. I guess I didn't realize that it would take me a year to finish my basement / theater room. I have a JVC projector sitting in storage that I've never plugged in either. Same goes for the Oppo 103d BD. Hopefully all this works as planned when I finally get it hooked up in a few weeks. Fingers crossed.
I think the OP had another concern about how to set up subs in a dual use situation which is my concern also. It was said earlier that using a sub that has dual inputs would work for this use case. In my case, I found REL and Sumiko to be appropriate for this use case for 2 channel as well as HT. Not sure how well they will work for this but it is their intended use by design. I am not a big bass head, but do require it in my music and movies as I can easily hear the difference that subs bring to the stage. My goal will be subwoofer integration into 2 channel and ultra low for HT. I'm not sure about the latter with the Sumiko S-10's but I intend to DIY some 18's or 21's to help out with that and hopefully pick up the lower 20hz or slightly lower if I can get there. I have heard that on a concrete slab, getting below 20hz is wishful thinking for me. I'll give it my best shot. Thanks to everyone for the information that has been put out that helps me and sorry to the OP if I may have hijacked some of your thread. I believe we are both searching for the same answer to the same question. Good luck to you.
@speed121
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I have been using 2 systems in the same room for 20 years: This way each system can be optimally set up. To get the best HT performance, you need to have a wider placement of the main speakers which in most cases will adversely effect 2 ch performance. The 2ch setup does not provide the big expansive wall to wall sound because of width restraints. Another problem is there is no dedicated center channel speaker to match the LaScallas. This would most likely would cause the center speaker too not blend in and always be localized. The woofer problem is easy. Almost all RELs from the original company from the Richard E Lord days will have 2 dedicated inputs that allow high level and low level connections, each with dedicated vol controls. So you can use the bass management in your avr for HT and the ReL crossover, high level for 2ch. Not sure if the new ReL company run by John Hunter will do that. I have been selling 2ch and HT for 30 plus years so I hope this helps you. I use this set up in my own home and it works flawless.
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OP, a lot of great suggestions here, many requiring $$. I agree with:
6. - Pay someone with the specialized sound equipment to set up your speakers and room - it will ay of in the pure audio system as well.
Either that or buy the equipment and DIY. Do this first with what you already own and it is much easier to proceed with anything else.
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I am not sure of your specific questions other then the title, and that is pretty vague. I can share with you my approach when faced with the same general question where I had one space and wanted to optimize several factors - appearance, cost, sound quality for 2 channel . . .
I bought a Benchmark DAC3 with HT bypass. It has worked great for me. The DAC serves as a pre-amp also allowing me to input a digital signal from my streamer and also the analog signal from my Onkyo AVR. With a press of a button on the remote, I can be only two channels (digital input from streamer) using 1 amp and 1 set of R/L speakers. Or I can switch to the analog inputs of the DAC which connect to the front two pre-amp out channels of the AVR . There are also outputs on the DAC and AVR for low level outputs for my two subs. I use a paired benchmark amp. I am very happy with the flexibility and sound quality. I find the two channel audio to be excellent and it is very easy to switch to the AVR inputs for TV/Movies allowing me to use the same two channel amp and R/L speakers. The improvement over using the DAC/AMP in my AVR was very noticeable.
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I went through this when I added video to an earlier system and again when I moved house and gear to a new location. Some of my conclusions:
1 - you need main speakers that are dual purpose, i.e. that have the range and sound good with either pure audio or video, which means that they have to have decent bass output - bookshelf speakers need not apply
2 - there is no such thing as a really good surround processor that will also do a truly great job in the pure audio system, so don't try.That means buying a good quality AV preamp or receiver and having a separate amplification chain for audio and video
I bought an Marantz AV preamp that does a very good job on movie sound but does not sound as good as my all tube audio chain.
3 - you can use the same power amp for thee main speakers if you like, or you can do what I did - use a different amp. That way I reserve tube life for music and use an old Rowland 5 solid state amp for AV - all I have to do is pull the speaker leads out of the tube amp and plug them into th Rowland
4. if you have a big room and your speakers aren't exceptionally good on bass, you will want some bass reinforcement, particularly as movie sound tracks use the impact of bass to stun their audience into admiration. That means a separate subwoofer (I use a pair of matched powered Hsu units that give good clean low bass, a fairly rare thing in reasonably priced subs.)
5. The AV preamp can feed a separate multi-channel power amp for surround speakers. You want decent speakers (I used all Vandersteen). Audition in the room to see whether or not you need a center channel speaker - it turned out that I didn't as my main speakers produced a better phantom centre channel than a centre speaker I had bought (and subsequently sold on)
6. - Pay someone with the specialized sound equipment to set up your speakers and room - it will ay of in the pure audio system as well. Mark main speaker position with tape or marks in case you ever have to temporarily move them. The analysis will also point out any slap echos and room flaws that you may want to address then or later - the solution may not be too expensive - heavy curtains you can close for movies, for instance can tame some problems.
If your main speaker placement in the room is wide enough that you can use a regular screen, you can buy a regular screen (mine is a 10 foot diagonal that is powered and winds up behind a false beam in the room when not in use. If speaker placement dictates, you may need to locate the screen in front of the speakers (i.e. if they are placed closer together than the screen dimensions) in which case you have to but an acoustically transparent screen material (they aren't actually sonically transparent - they usually lose 1-2 dB but that can be compensated for when the sound guys sets it all up).
My set up can be seen at
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I have 2 channel and AV 5.1 in my low profile credenza I have a Oppo BD Blu-ray player that has RCA sub out that goes to my two Subs and HDMI that goes to my Emotiva XMC-2 AV preamp Also BNC digital out to my Exogal Comet Plus DAC From my DAC l go XRL out to my tube ARC LS15 preamp and from there to my VAC tube amp So when l want to listen to my 2 channel rig l select coaxial out on my OPPO to my DAC When l want to listen to my 5.1 with the OPPO, Firestick, LG OLED or Xbox l select the output on my Emotiva XMC-2 I use the XRL from my Emotiva to my subs also I have two set of speakers Towers with built in powered subs and Maggie’s and use both in my 2 channel and 5.1
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Projectors suck compared to OLED
No, they both have advantages. I found a good way to take advantage of Dolby Vision on my non DV PJ was to use a Zidoo device. The DV engine in the Zidoo is able to be read with the HDR in my PJ. Even DVD's look awesome (maybe not OLED awesome but how much is a 120 inch OLED? LOL)
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The DAC in the AV amp simply isn't up to it
Interesting, I added the Sony Signature TAZH1ES DAC/headphone amp/pre for the same reason. I tried it as a preamp in two channel mode but prefer the use of the room correction of my Marantz processor. Now I just run it via the RCA connection into the processor. Another benefit of the outboard dac approach is that it is easier to upgrade a dac then swap out an entire processor or receiver.
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IF you have the space, two systems without a doubt. Movies are radio with pictures.
Large screens can be covered with a quilt for HiFi. Projectors suck compared to OLED, well actually compared to any modern direct view.
Use subs that have dual inputs for HiFi and HT e.g. Martin Logan X series, Anthem, etc. Get subs that have full control: Multi slope and continuously variable XO, continuous phase, polarity inversion.
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Hi Johns
For many years I tried to build a 2 channel system using my home cinema amp but gave up in the end. The DAC in the AV amp simply isn't up to it. I proved this to myself when I bought a Audiolab MDAC+, the difference was amazing. Detail and Soundstage were the 2 biggest differences. This set me off on a bit of a hifi obsession, I now use a DCS Bartok as a DAC through BHK 300 mono's into Kef Reference 5's. Non of these form any part of my AV set up.
For that I use an ONYKO TX-NR 3030 Atmos 11.2 receiver, Kef Ref 4 speakers, Kef Ref model 200c centre, 4 x Kef Q95 Surround speakers and 4 x Kef Q95 Height Speakers and A kef TDM 45 Sub. Epson Projector.
I am fortunate to have a decent size room to accommodate all this stuff, 21' x 19' with a 13' ceiling height. My HiFi system sounds so much better than the AV set up that I spend 95% of the time listening to music now, via Qobuz.
So, to answer your initial question, Yes you definitely need 2 separate systems, especially if you want the best out of your 2-channel set-up
Mark
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@speed121
Congrats on your attention to detail. I would only add two things. Get a laser pointer/measurer and try and make the MLP equidistant between the front and rear channels. The second thing is HUGE, get the paid upgrade for Audyssey MULTQ-X and the calibrated mic. Your concerns about the screen will likely be a non issue and the tweaking abilities of this upgrade will let you adjust as needed. IMO wide channels are more important then height channels for an immersive experience. make sure to get them as close to 60 degree angles as possible:
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This is an excellent question and very appropriate for me. I was very excited this morning to read the responses and potential solutions offered by the Gon’ers as I am currently building and trying to figure out the same issue. IMO with enough research and asking enough questions to the right people, there is always a solution even if it’s a compromise. But life is all about compromises that you can be happy with. For the OP, I believe the solution is a preamp with HT bypass and sub pass through and is neutral enough to not color the tube amp. I would keep the tube with the LaScala’s. I’ve heard them in a room your size and they are one of the top 5-10 speakers I would choose to try in that room. For the rest of your system, or systems, of integrating subs across HT and 2 channel, here is what I intend to do.
In a mixed use dedicated room, 14x22 fully sound controlled to the best of my ability, I have prewired for 7.4.4 + 2channel mains and riser platform acting as bass trap/ theater seat riser. I have acquired almost all of the following gear. I lack the Pre with HT bypass and the DIY subs. If I am overlooking something obvious, please let me know why this won’t work or you feel that the compromises seem more than it’s worth. Also, this is my critical listening room, so the compromises need to be minimal.
Denon x4200h AVR with Rotel amps driving LCR, SS, RS and Atmos. Sub out to miniDSP for passive DIY subs at side and back of room. Front wide pre out to 2 channel Preamp with 2.1 HT Bypass to amp driving another set of LR as 2 channel mains and acting as Front Wides when in HT mode. LFE from AVR also sent to .1 on Preamp bypass into REL subs in front of room. REL subs also wired high level from 2 channel amp for 2 channel listening. Video sources sent to AVR and streamer sent to 2 channel Pre. Room treatments are next but I obviously need to have the system setup and REW before I start on that. The one issue I haven’t solved is the fairly large projector screen as a reflector between my mains. My only option may be to use a curtain to pull over the screen for critical 2 channel listening but one thing at a time. My room is not huge so compromises of speaker placement is a very big concern of mine, but it is what it is and a viable solution will present itself with enough trial and error and enough equipment in and out. Hopefully, responses to this will help the OP as well as me.
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@Johns21,
In my view,+1 Carlsbad configures it exactly how you may want it. I do it the same. Bypass for the avr, means one volume control for the entire theater system or use a second preamp input and use two volume controllers as sometimes the ratio of fronts to surrounds you will want to vary on the fly.
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Mine is in the same room. If you have the proper space and acoustics why not. Ht receivers especially high end receivers have a “pass thru” circuit that allows for isolation of each pre amp and respective amps. I’m my scenario it works out great.
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more than a few people have suggested this might be way over-thinking and over-complicating this and that I should just listen to music thought my multi-channel setup and forget the 2 separate systems
Or, just listen to TV through your 2-channel audio setup. All it takes is an optical (Toslink) cable from the TV to your preamp or integrated. Better yet would be HDMI ARC, if your HiFi system supports that.
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I have a surround system for movies, and a system for 2-channel audio in same room, posted here on A’gon. Works perfect, and simple to use. Rectangle room and one end is audio and one video. A swivel chair is in optimized position for audio and rotates to video when needed. Plus the couch can be used for sports and movies. I would never use tubes for video. I’m fortunate to have this room. I have a single sub for movies and dual for music. Just my 2 cents. I am sure you will figure it out! Have fun!
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I have 2 completely separate systems in my 15 x15 space. 5.1 on the TV and a 2 channel setup on an adjacent wall. Both have streaming, disc and LP playback. The sectional allows me to sit in the sweet spot for either system.
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One system vote here. Have an Arcam AV40 handling all multimedia on the HT side, which goes through the HT bypass on the 2 channel preamp. Have two subs only used in HT. Room also has basic treatment but it is my living room so had to compromise with my fiancé.
That's integrated in a full 2 channel music setup and everything works great.
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OP, plenty of viable strategies in this thread. Start with what you got already IMO.
These Klipsch Reference RF7 speakers can sing, get them singing with great setup and room treatments. I have an Onkyo receiver, the amps are Onkyo’s strengths, now you also have Dirac. Nobody else can tell what this combo will sound like in your room. Look how sensitive your speakers are:
- frequency response 32-25,000 Hz (±3dB)
- power handling: up to 250 watts RMS (1,000 watts peak)
- sensitivity 100 dB
Now look how much power your receiver has:
| Power output (All channels) |
250 W/Ch (6 ohms, 1 kHz, 10% THD, 1 channel driven) 120 W/Ch (8 ohms, 20 Hz–20 kHz, 0.08% THD, 2 channels driven, FTC) |
| Dynamic power |
250 W (3 ohms, Front) 220 W (4 ohms, Front) 130 W (8 ohms, Front) |
How does it sound so far?
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I have been a cinephile almost as long as an audiophile.
If you want them to share rooms, then you probably have to chose which one takes precedence. Putting a big monitor between your mains is a pretty horrible thing to do. I use a projector and a powered screen.
For me, this was my 2 channel system. I use the pre-out and I have used both HT bypass and and RCA switch (there are some very good ones, Manley probably makes the gold standard one).
I have the typical stereo - server > DAC > pre > amp.
My HT uses the same server, an AVR, and uses the pre-out to drive the amps.
I have very sensitive corner horns and I have used 25W amps to power these with great results in the past. My current amps are Manley Snappers (100W tube amps).
As for stereo using primarily reflection and HT using primarily absorption - this is pure rubbish. Both require pretty much exactly the same thing in terms of room treatment, and both require alot of it. The main difference is in speaker placement, and how the speakers interact with each other and the room.
When I set up my system, I focused on front speaker placement. The rest of the speakers went where I could fit them, and I let the DSP figure out the timing. Not ideal, but still extremely good.
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Does your avr have a preamp out? ….. just connect it to the pre in to your tube amp.. run your mains off the tube amp.. run the room processor… listen to movies and tv with surround on and listen to music in direct mode.
Done
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I have a dual purpose room. I have an Anthem AVM70 with nice anthem multi channel amps for center surrounds rears and 4 ceiling. I have a dedicated PSAudio front end and Focals all the way around. I could easily use HT bypass but what to do with the sub? LFE with anthem or RCA out of pre. How to set volume and tune? After much ordering I ended up with a JL Audio CR-1 xover. It also takes care of xover for 2 channel and adds bypass for for HT at a push of a button. Allows for 1 sub. HFor the cost of the cr1 I could have bought more subs and used speaker outs to run but I do not have the room for it at all.
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In hindsight, it might have been advisable to have this discussion prior to buying both systems, but hey, fecal matter happens.
Like others have said, having an integrated amplifier with home theatre bypass look after all the two channel output, along with the front channels of the home theatre is certainly to easiest solution. That way you need only one pair of speakers and get the best sound quality by far.
Anyone that tells you that your AVR is sufficient to run everything is simply wrong. I tried that scenario previously by purchasing Cambridge Audio's top of the line AVR (CXR 200) and although it sounded pretty good in a vacuum, switching to a Musical Fidelity integrated for two channel was a 100% improvement.
I now have two completely separate systems that only share one cable. A RCA cable running from the L/R front channel pre out of my AVR to the HT bypass input of the integrated.
This type of setup will also allow you to run the HT sub from the AVR and the two channel subs from the integrated.
Unfortunately, your Willsenton R300 doesn't have a H/T bypass option so creating a hybrid system would require you to replace it, but if you are interested, have a look at the following site. Good luck.
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since the ideal 2 channel room uses diffusion to retain energy. whereas the ideal Home Theater uses mostly absorption to reduce comb filtering.
So many examples of both of those approaches. When I put mostly absorption in my HT it sucked the energy right out of the room. Now this room also had carpeting and seating that were absorptive.
Anthony Grimani’s recipe worked great for my room.
Here is a summary of what he recommends for home listening:
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Avoid LEDE
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15% absorption
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20% diffusion
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Carpet or deep absorption pit below listening position
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Bass traps in ceiling to ceiling corners
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Absorb first ceiling reflection point
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3D diffusion on ceiling behind listener
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Absorb sidewall reflection if speaker is only a couple ft away from it
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Panels spaced evenly across sidewalls.
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Interleave absorbers and diffusers along sidewall. "binaural dissimilarity"
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Asymmetrical sidewall absorption. Absorbers face diffusers.
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2D diffusers in front, 3D behind.
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Absorb center of wall behind listener "reduces mono-ness", with 3D diffusers on each side.
Example layout for 300-400 sq ft room
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+1 @fuzztone I think this could be solved with a simple switch. If you’re neurotic about sharing grounds, dig inside and switch the grounds (most switches buss the grounding). Make certain everything is off when you flip the switch - although at line level to subs you may be OK doing it live.
I would avoid using an AVR for 2 channel listening unless it’s a really good AVR. You would be missing out if you get ride of that tube amp before experiencing it.
You have the space. As others have said, I would set everything up for good 2 channel listening, fill in with the other speakers where they fit and use room correction on the 7.2 system. Spend some time with what you got.
A lot of this depends on your focus and what you use most. I have 2 systems in a shared space. After spending a bunch of time and money routing Atmos speakers and the like, I found two big issues. For starters, most of the film I enjoy is not in Atmos. Most good films worth the effort of the room were maybe done in 2 channel. Second, after experiencing a good SET tube amp, everything else sounds fake or artificial. The bouncing of the sound is usually down so poorly it feels like a gimmic. There is much more to a ‘real’ sound other than the physical location of the sound.
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@johns21 I recently went through this and think I've nailed it. Of course the best option is to have 2 rooms but most of us don't have that luxury.
To put them in the same room, here is my strategy: build your 2 channel system exactly like you like it. with a couple of caveats. your amp needs to have an HT bypass or just 2 inputs. the way I do it is I use an integrated amp with the volume turned all the way up. So it is becomes an amp with multiple inputs. I run my preamp into one of them and this is my 2 channel system. Note that most volume controls for integrated amps have a contact at full volume that fully bypasses the potentiometer or resistive ladder, whichever you have.
For my HT system, I run all the surrounds and center from the HT receiver but for the fronts I run a pre-out signal from the HT receiver to the 2 channel receiver (different input from the 2 channel preamp).
Set up levels in the HT amp just like you normally would. Now to go back and forth between HT and 2 channel you just select an input.
This is basicly HT bypass and if you have an integrated with HT bypass it works the same. A lot of people think that ht bypass is a compromise and puts extra circuits into the signal path for your 2 channel system. You can see that it doesn't.
Jerry
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This may not be for many but it works for me. I don’t use my HT system that often so I didn’t want to spend a lot on it. I have a midfi Pioneer Elite 7.1 HT system that I added a nice tube DAC, streamer with optical and Fritz main speakers. Sounded really nice in analog direct amp mode. I then added a second tube amp sharing the Fritz speakers with a (2 amp to 1 speaker switch box) and moved the DAC and streamer to the tube amp. 1 amp for HT and a second amp for 2 channel. Now I can enjoy nice sounding music or HT in this room. I do have a separate main 2 channel system in another room. Nice to have options.
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@elliottbnewcombjr ideally, that would be best, but I just don't have anymore room. Its really in the man cave or nowhere else.
Again, the room is not well treated, but really getting a lack of bass from the LS. I've only had them for a couple weeks and the sound is nice and wide, but just not anywhere near enough bass for me to really enjoy 2 channel music, I don't think.
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I would definitely leave the HT alone, refine it, mess with it for the rest of your life, add 20 subs, whatever
Leave the La Scalla's alone, in a separate area, with the 300b tube amp. Forget adding a sub, simply enjoy the tube/super efficient horn sound.
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I’ll take a look again at HT bypass.
There are many ways to integrate a two channel amp or preamp in a HT.
The biggest upgrade available as a general rule are room acoustics. You get the seat positioned, the speakers positioned and the room treated and it upgrades everything. However, it lacks the adrenaline rush of buying new gear so is often overlooked or not calibrated properly.
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Tubes in the mix ; tubes will be solicited all the time : $$
A good headphone kit may be a simpler solution. For 2 channels intimate listening
I have HT system (9.5.6) + 2 channels , all together with a Integrared-HT Bypass
HT processor : Acurus ACT4
Integrated amp: Vinnie Rossi Brama
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I'll take a look again at HT bypass. Ideally I'd use the Willsenton 8w tube amp in 2 channel and then be able to switch over to my Monolith 5x200 amp for HT use, but again, getting way complicated perhaps just to try and keep the tubes in the mix.
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I have a multi and 2 channel system in my room.
It's very easy if you have a 2 channel preamp or integrated with HT pass-through.
Is it two systems? No, not really, but it acts like two systems, and are seperated. All my 2 channel sources are interconnected to my 2 channel preamp only, and the only thing my AVR does it supply the center and rear speaker when in HT Pass-through mode, and also it's DSP for that use. I connect my subs via the high level inputs from my 2 channel mono block amps. Thus does not get the 'big boom' response in HT mode, but that isn't a concern for me, 2 channel takes precident.
So yes, totally separated 2 channel and HT system in one room, and go from one to the other by a press of a switch/pre amp remote.
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I have 3 systems in the same room with one sub array accessed via a 3-way switch.
As always go with whatever works and sounds good.
I have a specific reason for going this route.
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he only downside to running everything thru my AVR is that I won’t have the tubes
You can patch in your tubes multiple ways with your AVR, don’t sell them yet.
I have the room and the speakers and the equipment, and it all seems to be not working as planned
The plan is happening, you did the hard stuff already. Follow up on setting up your room by reaching out to auralex or sonitus.
I’m hoping to find some treatment ideas that can keep this looking like a somewhat "normal" room
You can place your treatments behind acoustically transparent fabric and with the size room you have it will be stunning.
https://www.acoustimac.com/acoustic-insulation-materials/acoustically-transparent-fabric
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I just decided to add HT to my 2-channel again. I purchased a Marantz Cinema 50 AVR to drive my center and rears. I use my Corus's HT bypass to allow my amps to drive my front speakers. So far, it'd been a disaster with ground loop noise that I haven't been able to eliminate.
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thanks for the thoughts.
"Anyone thinking they need two systems didn't setup their HT properly." - yes, really the only downside to running everything thru my AVR is that I won't have the tubes, but I guess that's just a mental thing I'd need to get over. I've dreamt about them for a long time and finally kinda got the point where I have the room and the speakers and the equipment, and it all seems to be not working as planned. But everything else seemed to be simplified with running with only 1 system, just a little bummed if nothing else.
The room is kind of a multi-puropse room, HT/TV room, my office, my guitar room, my reloading equipment off to one side. So while I know those professional acoustic panels and bass traps are probably the best option, I'm hoping to find some treatment ideas that can keep this looking like a somewhat "normal" room, if that makes sense.
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I have a lot of hard surfaces in this room, which I’m working on rectifying,
The Onkyo has Dirac which is great but still needs room treatments. The way forward is the same for both 2 CH and MCH, get the room right first.
To get the room right you can get a free consult from Auralex or Sonitus, DIY by watching videos, or simply order a room kit and install it.
Everything about separate systems, tube amps, etc. can be put on the back burner until you complete this step. Once you run Dirac in your newly treated room it will be like hearing your system for the first time.
You are fortunate to have a room that size as you can be very precise with your seating and speaker placement.
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I have a SOA 9.2.7 home theater in a well treated room with active speakers. It sounds better in two channel than my dedicated two channel desktop system.
Caveat, I did add a dedicated two channel DAC to supplement the DAC in my HT processor.
Anyone thinking they need two systems didn't setup their HT properly.
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