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How to have great HT and 2-CH Stereo

I have a home theater system using a Rotel A/V RSX-972 receiver. The system works great in home theater but lacking in 2 channel audio CD quality. I'm thinking of introducing a pre/power amps (Plinius CD-LAD and SA-250) for my front L/R speakers. However, I don't know what is the best way to connect this together without having to plug and unplug cable everytime I switch from Home Theatre to audio CD listening. This is because there will be two pre amps (Rotel and plinius) in the system and plinius CD-LAD does not offer by-pass mode.

An alternative will be to upgrade to a high end A/V processor (thinking of proceed) but was told that even the most top-of-the-line 5 channel A/V precessor/preamp cannot match the sonic quality of a good 2 channel stereo preamp in 2 channel CD mode. Do you agree? Is anyone facing the same problem as I am? Please help comment.
patrick123
oofda
19 posts
 
Your best bet is to buy the amp-pre-amp. Sell your receiver and use the money to buy an out board processor. You will not find a receiver other than maybe one that will cost you more than the seperates that will sound good on music. Believe me I have tried.
reubent
3,587 posts
 
Keep the receiver, buy seperates (or an integrated amp) with HT bypass. Connect your CD player to the new pre/integrated, connect yout HT source to the receiver, power your mains from the new 2-channel rig, and Power your center, surrounds and HT sub. from the receiver.

I use this setup (Arcam Alpha 10 integrated/Denon AVR-3300 receiver) and it works great. You can do this without an HT bypass by just running the L&R-front pre-outs from your receiver into an unused line level input of the new pre-amp. You will have to use a "pre-defined" volume setting on the pre-amp.(maybe Top dead center?). It will work fine that way, but isn't as "elegant" as using an HT bypass.

Tom
elizabeth
6,726 posts
 
The Adcom 750 is a low cost preamp $1,400 that has a remote controlled switch for inserting an outboard processor or home theater preamp into the signal chain... so the main speakers run by the Adcom and your main 2 channel amp could be "inserted" into the home theater preamps setup. If the Adcom is switched into the bypass the home theaters volume runs the show., but the connections go from the Adcom to your regular 2 channel amp as before, so if you want 2 channel.. then you got good (decent?) 2 channel.
Other good music preamps may also have this feature??
racers
22 posts
 
My solution was to use only 2-channel with the Magnum Dynalab MD-10 Surround Decoder. If you have good 2-channel-why screw it up with home theater? The MD-10 has an RCA out for your sub(s) and decodes 5.1 into two channel. This sounds way better than any midfi or untweaked high-end system. Not quite(obviously) up to high end HT...but almost. And NO WAF problems. Hope this isn't considered heresy.
sdzink
31 posts
 
The Sonic Frontiers and ARC Preamps have a processor loop. I have a Proceed AVP and it sounds decent on 2 channel but my SF is smoother and more neutral overall.
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