Seperating 2 channel and HT in the same system.

Great thread . Could have used it when I was struggling thorugh the same issue. Here's what I ended up doing (and it works great for me).

First some basics: I have an EAD Signature 5.1 pre/pro with no analog bypass, a Lamm L1 preamp (no bypass again) and an EAD PM2000 amp which has both SE and XLR inputs for the front two speakers.

When listening to my CD's, I don't even turn my EAD pre/pro on! The CD is connected to the Lamm direct inputs and out from the Lamm via XLR connections to the amp. I simply toggle my amp to balanced and voila - music.

When in HT, I don't turn my Lamm on, as the DVD is connected to the EAD pre/pro. which in turn is connected to the EAD amp via single ended connections. All I have to do is toggle back the amp to SE mode. The only watch out is to set the gains for the various channels appropriately, but I only have to do this once.

The only "hassle" is the toggling of the switches from SE to XLR and vice versa, but given my setup, that takes 5 seconds. (And the Lamm is to die for - I had the LL2 before, but the L1 ahhhhh!).

Bottom line, I think is that there are several ways to make this work, with bypass being the easiest as discussed before, but if you really want to go another way (say for equipment like/dislike purposes), there are ways.

BTW, I too have got rid of my rear speakers; thought they were a waste. So all I have are my fronts, the center channel and a sub.

Good luck.

Joew, to add a high quality two channel pre to a hometheater system is pretty easy, I will try to explain. You can add a tube/SS/passive pre of your choice, hook up is the same for each. Some pre-amps have a hometheater pass through input for more ease of set up, if you have one of these, this would be your input for R/L front preouts from your pre/pro. If your two channel pre does not have this, you can use any of its line inputs, Your two channel pre will need at least two sets of inputs: one for your CDP, and one for your pre/pro, you can switch between source on that unit. You can have as many source as you have inputs. All of these source will input to your two channel pre and thus bypass pre/pro. Unity gain is the point on your two channel volume control where it adds no gain to the sources input signal, your pre/pro will control volume for movies as it always does once you are set up. If your new two channel preamp does not have hometheater pass through then you will need this point on your volume control, with a passive pre you would use volume all the way up for unity gain. For an active pre most people use 12 O'clock setting on volume control. I guess you could say that this would be the harder way to achieve hometheater pass through, It does work fine and this is the way I have my passive pre hooked into my hometheater. Here is the hook up: Hook any source you do not want to run through your pre/pro to the new pre, you will not need your pre/pro turned on to play these source. Hook your front L/R pre-outs from your pre/pro to your new pre, set volume control for unity gain. Go into setup on your pre/pro and set overall volume with spl meter just like you did when you first setup your pre/pro. When you watch a movie you would always return your two channel pre's volume setting to unity gain setting as this is the point you will have set overall volume with pre/pro. Your front channel amp will now get it's input from the two channel pre and not the pre/pro. I may have made this sound hard to do, (It's not) It's harder to explain than it is to do.

I understand perfectly. It is as I had hoped. So, in essence, all I need is a preamp with HT passthrough (not necessary but convenient) and a fair to average pre/pro for movies (how bad can you screw up DD, 5.1 etc).

You have been a huge help. Thanks again!

One note Joew, you would always need to remember to turn the volume control back down before switching inputs on the two channel pre from movie to other source.

So probably the best idea would be to have a tiny stick-on marker to delineate the pre-calibrated volume level when using the HT pass through?