Rrog - if you have 2 independent systems, do you advocate having 2 sets of front speakers, next to each other? That is what Mechans is suggesting. That seems unnecessary in most cases, although Shakedown seems to like it. Most people do not have room for 2 sets of large speakers next to each other. I wonder Shakedown, do you have a wife :)
The advantage of a home theater bypass situation on the 2 channel pre-amp is that it allows one set of speakers for L&R in both 2 channel and 7.1. If you have a nice set of L&R mains, why not use them for both? Rather than use cheaper HT mains right next to the big boys, why not invest the money is a very good center to compliment the big mains?
My Cary/Levinson/Cremona setup gives me great 2 channel and I use a Yamaha receiver and ATI amp for the 7.1 setup (minus the mains), but with a good center hooked to the ATI. (The 200.7 has been moved to a second 7.1 setup.) The L&R from the Yamaha go through the Cary home theater bypass. I really do think this hybrid setup gives you the most flexibility while allowing you to tweak the 2 channel or 7.1 system as needed.
Unlike Shakedown, I am not interested in changing cables when changing between systems. My wife is very tolerate and loves the music, but I do not think I could sell her on having a second set of mains. We did build a dedicated theater with 7.1, but not everyone can do that. We still use the hybrid system for 7.1 a lot also, especially for TV. Its critical to have that NFL crowd noise blaring from the surrounds :)
Anyway, the bottom line is that I think the OP can do better than the 200.7 for high quality 2 channel.
The advantage of a home theater bypass situation on the 2 channel pre-amp is that it allows one set of speakers for L&R in both 2 channel and 7.1. If you have a nice set of L&R mains, why not use them for both? Rather than use cheaper HT mains right next to the big boys, why not invest the money is a very good center to compliment the big mains?
My Cary/Levinson/Cremona setup gives me great 2 channel and I use a Yamaha receiver and ATI amp for the 7.1 setup (minus the mains), but with a good center hooked to the ATI. (The 200.7 has been moved to a second 7.1 setup.) The L&R from the Yamaha go through the Cary home theater bypass. I really do think this hybrid setup gives you the most flexibility while allowing you to tweak the 2 channel or 7.1 system as needed.
Unlike Shakedown, I am not interested in changing cables when changing between systems. My wife is very tolerate and loves the music, but I do not think I could sell her on having a second set of mains. We did build a dedicated theater with 7.1, but not everyone can do that. We still use the hybrid system for 7.1 a lot also, especially for TV. Its critical to have that NFL crowd noise blaring from the surrounds :)
Anyway, the bottom line is that I think the OP can do better than the 200.7 for high quality 2 channel.