Wells Audio Majestic (no HT Bypass) vs. Integrated w/ HT Bypass - Help!

Good. That's the way to do it.

If you ever want to find out you could use an HDMI to RCA adaptor to see how the Apple TV sounds direct to the integrated. Or run the phono stage through the AVR. 

Haven't heard that Majestic but just looking at it, to my eye it just looks like the kind of thing only some small seriously dedicated fanatics could make. So it probably sounds the business. Good luck.

I'm getting my content from an Apple TV, so there aren't RCAs to plug into the integrated amp. Just HDMI to the AVR

That's a shame. Oh well. Use the other option suggested above. It will suck. But it will work.

At some point you should find some way to get a clean signal direct into the Majestic, uncorrupted by AVR, just to hear and understand what HT is doing to the sound. Its just such a waste to pay for what seems to be a quite good integrated and then feed it through a AVR, easily the worst audio quality in all of audio.

AVRs in general, I mean. Not the one you have. You may have the best AVR on the market. Talking about all of them. Have a listen. You will see.

If I'm playing a movie through my AVR, won't the AVR need to be connected to the integrated so that the movie's audio makes it the L/R speakers?

Yes. But that's exactly what I told you NOT to do.

Movies, whether from CD, or Blu-Ray, or laptop, whatever, L/R goes straight to the integrated. Obviously that would be via RCA. Your movies probably go HDMI from whatever into the AVR. Whatever. That's one reason HT sounds so crappy. HDMI. Twenty hair thin wires, video and audio, all crammed in tight together. Sheesh. No wonder it sounds like crap. Convenience over performance.

Anyway its HDMI from your movie source to your AVR. Connect only surrounds (and center if they talked you into that one, sorry)  to the AVR. Do not connect stereo speakers to AVR. Then L/R audio from your movie source goes straight into your integrated. Connect L/R speakers to integrated.

Now use the integrated for main volume. Set your main volume where you want it. Then use the AVR to set surround volume. You will NOT need a center channel, that's what stereo is for, so if you have it connect it or don't, whichever you like. 

Use the AVR to adjust surround volume to what you like when the mains are at a good volume level. If you turn the mains up louder the surround will be a little less. I doubt you will notice unless you are really trying. The minute you stop trying and actually watch the movie you'll forget all about it. If you turn the volume down a lot the surrounds will be a little loud and annoying. This is actually a good thing. The combination will gradually over time make you aware of just how gimmicky they are.

Um, no, do not use AVR pre-out. It will work. But it will be sending the signal through the worst component you have (AVR) into the best.

What you will find is the sound with that integrated (either one, ANY integrated!) is so much better than AVR you will migrate away from HT entirely. What I did. Long ago.

What you do, for the best sound:
Connect your sources directly into the integrated. Connect your stereo speakers to the integrated.

Notice the Majestic has fixed outs? Connect that to your AVR. This way you will be running clean signal to the integrated, and using the AVR for surround only.

It will be a bit of a hassle with movies but only if you are anal about your surround volume. I ran just like this for quite a while using two separate amps until I realized its just not worth it. Surround, I mean. Once you get used to how good stereo with a proper integrated sounds you will probably come to the same conclusion.

Anyway, usually people tend to watch movies about the same volume all the time. Set the AVR for that. You'll still be able to adjust the main volume on the integrated. Try it and see.