I think a two channel preamp with bypass feature is the way to go. It is not a more expensive option if you use an HT receiver as a processor because you don't need to buy a three channel amp to power the center and rear channels. I use a Sonic Frontiers line 2se with a Denon 3300 receiver. No pre/pro will sound as good for two channel as a good two channel preamp.
Stereo preamp for HT bypass
I'm planning to build a system for music and HT. I've heard that you're better off by-passing the a/v preamp to a good stereo preamp for music listening. What are the pro's and con's of doing this? What combinations(a/v preamp/stereo pre)work well together? I plan to use a 5.1 system with Dynaudio Contour 3.3 for L/R. Thanks for your insight!