Blake,
I had your same dilemma. I was looking for a a two channel balanced preamp to run my Lexicon processor through. After searching and trying many tube devices and a Krell, I settled on the X0.2.
I have since separated the two channel audio from the seven channels of video related audio into two separate rooms. Now I do not need the bypass, so I have been auditioning preamps to see if any others meet my sonic needs any better than the X0.2. I have found none that do.
The X0.2 steps to bypass are still in my Pronto under the theater macro. I mention this because if you decide to go the bypass route, it is the easiest way to set up a "theater system on and bypass"macro to work from your theater chairs. Especially for the wife and kids. (My policy is the less family fingers touching gear the better. Prontos are cheap by comparison to the gear.)
I had your same dilemma. I was looking for a a two channel balanced preamp to run my Lexicon processor through. After searching and trying many tube devices and a Krell, I settled on the X0.2.
I have since separated the two channel audio from the seven channels of video related audio into two separate rooms. Now I do not need the bypass, so I have been auditioning preamps to see if any others meet my sonic needs any better than the X0.2. I have found none that do.
The X0.2 steps to bypass are still in my Pronto under the theater macro. I mention this because if you decide to go the bypass route, it is the easiest way to set up a "theater system on and bypass"macro to work from your theater chairs. Especially for the wife and kids. (My policy is the less family fingers touching gear the better. Prontos are cheap by comparison to the gear.)