How to get 2 Channel and Home theater in one packa

Elevick,

You totally missed the point of a combo system when you said "They end up processing music through a mediocre receiver and then run it on a really nice 2 channel rig-it degrades the sound.".

In the system I described there is ZERO possibility of the music getting processed as the receiver (processor) doesn't even need to be turned on in order to listen to music. You simply listen to the 2-channel rig, independant of any of the components involved in the HT/multi-channel portion of the system.

I'm not saying a combo system is the way to go for everyone. It's not. If you have a goal to also have excellent multi-channel music, a quality multi-channel pre/pro and multi-channel amp is possibly the better bet. However, if the goal is excellent 2-channel music reproduction and a system that will also do a decent job with HT, then a combo system could be the best bet.

Ultimately, a combo system likely cost less, does a better job of 2-channel music reproduction and does an adequate job with HT. It is also extremely flexible as you can upgrade the 2-channel portion of the system without incurring the huge depreciation associated with high-end HT equipement.

But ultimately, I get back to the point of checking out the Linar model 10. Here you get a quality 2-channel and multi-channel analog integrated amp. You don't pay for useless surround modes and processors, just a quality 5.1 channel analog pre-amp and 5 channels of amplification, in one box. Let your relatively inexpensive Universal player do any required processing (heck, you already paid for the processor in the player, you might as well use it). Check out the couple of reviews available. In one, the Linar was comapred to a $14,500 ARC multi-channel combo and it was superior in some respects. BTW, Linar is owned by the founder/ex-owner of SimAudio. He knows his stuff.

Enjoy,

TIC

To get the best of both worlds you must separate systems in part. What I mean: Get a good two channel preamp, either ss or tube, with a multichannel amp and an HT processor. I use Cary cdp into a belles 21A preamp with HT pass through. I use a cambridge audio processor into the belles and then the stereo outs from the belles into a 5 channel Cary amp. I then use the center and 2 surrounds from the processor directly into the amp. This way I have a quality stereo system with a quality HT system utilizing the same amp. However, the processor doesn't degrade the quality of my stereo listening. Try this out as it is the only REAL quality option to combine the two systems. Several preamps make units with HT pass and you can use most preamps without one if you don't mind resetting the vol. each time. I moved to this from a meridian 568 pre/pro I used for 2 channel/HT. BIG improvement in 2 channel with only a slight degredation in HT. Hope this helps.

Through a series of upgrades over time, I have arrived at both an excellent 2 channel system as well as multichannel. I have a high-quality preamp and amp for 2 channel and a seperate processor and multichannel amp for 5 channel/movies. The multichannel amp drives the center speaker and rears, while the preamp and amp drive the front channels (L + R). I can either use the HT bypass or not of the preamp in this configuration, and truly get the best of both worlds, as they say, with tons of good clean power due to the 2 amps.

The systems recommended by Jamesw20 and Fplanner2000 are variations on the "combo system" that I recommended. My recommendation uses a receiver for HT processing and powering the center and surrounds. James recommendation uses a quality processor and 3 channel of a 5 channel amp for those duties. Fplanner2000 uses a dedicated processor and a seperate 3 channel amp for those duties.

The commonality here is that these systems do not use any compromised HT processor for 2-channel music. They simply built a quality 2-channel rig and added HT functionality that would not compromise the 2-channel music reproduction.

These three methods will all work well. It's simply a matter of choosing how much importance (and money) you put into the HT/multi-channel portion of your rig.

Enjoy,

TIC

I still will stick to my Anthem pre/pro/tuner with 2 channel mode which bypasses all HT processing when I want.
In addition, it allows me to enjoy DVD/A and SACD when I feel like it.
Yes, I do have a 2 channel tube system upstairs but find myself using less and less.