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How to merge my 2 Channel and HT Systems?

OK, I have downsized to a smaller condo and no longer have the luxury of a dedicated music system in one room and a full HT setup in another. I really would like to keep at least my Plinius SA 102 to power my Joseph Audio RM25si's for music (Thorens turntable, Theta Miles CD player, and maybe FLAC streamed over network) while using my preamp (Anthem) for both and power amp (B&K) to power the rest of the system when listening to HT. Is it possible to merge my two systems so the Plinius drives the Joseph Audio's for music and HT and the rest of the system kicks in for HT?
moto_man
byfo
120 posts
 
This also allows independent volume adjustment to the sub when listening to two channel which is very cool!
egrady
138 posts
 
It can be done, the biggest problem is what is between the two channel speakers. If your screen is wall mounted you're in business. Once I went to a FP and placed the screen on the wall, getting rid of the obstruction between my L/R speakers, a whole new world opened up.

No matter how well you approach it, optimal L/R speaker placement is different for HT and 2 channel. So a combined system will have compromises. But once the L/R speakers have room to breathe the compromise is modest.
dangelod
40 posts
 
I have an 2 channel set up (cd player -> dac -> preamp -> 2 channel amp driving left and right; sub takes low freq thoght he preamp sub out) that is "connected" by HT bypass to a NAD multichannel reciever (does all video processing and multichannel audio and drive center and rear speakers). So, when listening to 2 channel, no compromise as nothing runs through the HT setup. With HT, the amp is contoled by the volume control on NAD (through HT bypass)
sacman
125 posts
 
Does your Anthem has 7.1 output? If it does, I would connect the LF and RF to one of the input on your Plininus. This way, you can use the Plinius in both 2ch and HT. If the Anthem does NOT have the 7.1 output, I would connect the 7.1 LF and RF outputs from your DVD/Bluray player to the Plininus. Same concepts.

QN
chessman
26 posts
 
I do it as follows:

Surround processor to the "unity gain" input on stereo preamp. The sub is on the LFE output from the processor. I run two channel as full signal with no subs. For HT, I hit one button on the preamp remote to change from the two channel input port to the "unity gain" port.

Wyred 4 Sound sells a stereo preamp with an even easier HT bypass that lets you run the subs in both modes. I only changed from it because the BAT preamp sounded better in two channel.
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