Audiophile pre-amps with home theater pass through

McCormack RLD-1

You can also do this with passive volume control, I use Bent Audio 102 transformer volume control in my system.

I'm currently using a Classe CP-60 which has this function. The CP-60 model is discontinued now, but you should be able to get one for less than $1500 used.

A little more money but ML380S is the best

Sonic Frontiers Line 1 (~$1000 used) and Line 2 (~$1400 used). Both preamps are tube-based.

To answer Scotty above, on my BAT VK-30SE you can set the relative level of any of the inputs wherever you want it and then assign that input as a "Fixed" input. No matter what you do with the BAT volume control the level of the fixed input doesn't change. Rather, volume is controled via your Pre-pro of choice.

In my setup that means I set all my home theater levels at my Accurus ACT 3. Center, surrounds and LFE go directly out to amps feeding speakers for those locations. L & R front channels are fed from the ACT 3 to my BAT, and it in turn feeds the 2 channel amps.

Voila! Home theater through the 2 channel setup, all the while maintaining the integrity of the 2 channel setup for serious music.

Can someone elaborate on what the unity gain feature of the BAT pre's is/does and how it relates to integrating a home theatre system into a two channel hi end system?

thanks

Proceed PRE is a good ss preamp w/ pass through and is selling very cheap used now since Proceed is being incorporayed into the Levinson line.

Audio Reserch SP16 All tube too!

Krell KRC-3, the S-3 input can be configured for unity gain.

Adcom GFP 750 (good) at about $700 =/- used, or Muse Model 3 Signature (significantly betters the Adcom) at about $2300 new (you will not likely find it used). The BAT SS pre amps like VK40 I believe have it, and the tube units have the unity gain as posted above - be sure to ck features on the specific model you are looking at. It is a great feature if you only have one listening/HT room.

BAT pres w/remote have a unity gain feature that allows them to be used is pass-thru mode.