Preamp only? Bypass Necessary?

I have an AVR with pre-outs and hope to clarify whether only a preamp, and not an integrated, is sufficient and in either event whether the external component must have discreet HT Bypass inputs.

Let’s be clear here — you don’t want any part of the AVR in the stereo signal path, so you want only the stereo pre and amp (or integrated amp) in the 2-channel signal path when playing 2-channel sources. To specifically answer your question, you need either an integrated stereo amp or separate pre and amp to make this work. Since you very fortunately have front L/R pre outs on your AVR you connect that into either a stereo preamp (that then feeds a dedicated stereo amp) or integrated stereo amp, and all your 2-channel sources also get plugged into the stereo pre or integrated. If the stereo pre or integrated has a HT bypass you’re pretty much done with the speakers now hooked to the stereo amp or integrated instead of the AVR. Choose the HT bypass input on the stereo pre/integrated for movies and the other appropriate inputs for your stereo sources and it’s totally seamless.

If you don’t have a HT bypass on the stereo pre or integrated amp this still works by just choosing any unused input on the stereo pre/integrated, but since the stereo pre/integrated volume control will still be active (unlike with an HT bypass input) you need to set a reference volume level on the pre/integrated when you set the individual speaker volume levels for movies with the AVR. I used the 9 o’clock position on the volume knob on my stereo pre because it was easily repeatable and so when I switched the input between stereo sources and HT the volume wouldn’t blast if I forgot to adjust the volume beforehand. So when you’re doing HT the volume on the stereo unit needs to be at the 9 o’clock position for the channels to be in proper balance as you set them with the AVR.  Hope this is clear — it’s really very simple but just seems more complicated when put into words. Lemme know if something still not clear.

Hi Elliot

Thanks for your reply. As mentioned in the post, my AVR has pre-outs for all speakers. Perhaps my post was too long-winded and should have limited to the last paragraph where I stated "I have an AVR with pre-outs and hope to clarify whether only a preamp, and not an integrated, is sufficient and in either event whether the external component must have discreet HT Bypass inputs.   

Soix--perfectly clear and specifically responsive to my original post.  Having read some of your previous responses, I didn't fully appreciate the solo reference to a preamp also necessarily included an amp to power the front speakers. (I wondered how the power could return to the AVR using only a preamp.)  Likewise I wasn't sufficiently knowledgeable to understand how volume would be an issue if the outboard pre didn't have an HT Bypass. Thanks.

sadbird OP

keep in mind, others follow these threads, so I write responses for both OP and others.

Understood elliottbnewcombjr.