2. home-theater
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Seperating 2 channel and HT in the same system.

I am trying to go from 50/50 music/ht to 70/30 music/ht. I want to use the internal DAC from my CD player instead of the DAC from the pre/pro.

Should I get a pre/pro with a true analog bypass or add a preamp for 2 channel listening? If the latter, how would you hook up a preamp so that the CD player signal does not get routed through the pre/pro and still be able to listen to HT through the same main speakers?

Doesn't a preamp have to go out to the amp? If I route the preamp to the pre/pro, the pre/pro will run it through it's own DAC again. The only way to cure this would be to constantly change the connections from the preamp to the pre/pro whenever I want to change from CD to HT.

Isn't there a better way to integrate a system?
joew

Showing 3 responses by joew

joew OP
61 posts
 
Oooohhh...I must bow down to the Revels ;)

Well I have sold my B&K Ref20 pre/pro. I think my first route will be to buy a pre/pro like the Aragon Soundstage or the Classe SSP25...both of which have a genuine analog pass-through. If this doesn't satisfy then I suppose I'll just have to go the preamp with HT pass through...and if THAT doesn't satisfy then I guess it's 2 channel HT for me ;)

A few questions regarding the preamp with HT pass thru hookup, (can you tell I'm in the learning stages?):
1) Everything still hooks to the pre/pro "in's" as usual except the CD player right?
2) The pre/pro "out's" to the main speakers run through the preamp? The preamp in "HT bypass" mode?
3) I would need an additional set of interconnects to go from the preamp to the mains? (previous pre/pro interconnects to the mains went straight to the mains but now they will go into the preamp)
4) When I play a CD, I will not even need to turn the pre/pro on right? Just turn on the preamp, set it CD and control the volume through the preamp?

Do I have this correct?

If so I could spend a little less and buy a decent older pre/pro for the 5.1 processing and get a nice (for my budget) preamp with HT pass-thru.

Let me know if I am on the right track.
joew OP
61 posts
 
I understand perfectly. It is as I had hoped. So, in essence, all I need is a preamp with HT passthrough (not necessary but convenient) and a fair to average pre/pro for movies (how bad can you screw up DD, 5.1 etc).

You have been a huge help. Thanks again!
joew OP
61 posts
 
So probably the best idea would be to have a tiny stick-on marker to delineate the pre-calibrated volume level when using the HT pass through?

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