Integrated amps with home theatre by-pass

[navier_stokes]

I'm looking for a integrated amp with home theatre by-pass but there don't seem to be too many pure by-pass amps around.

I'm looking at a new hi-fi setup, but I want to use my hi-fi as fronts for my multi-channel system, i.e. I'll run pre-outs from my 5.1 amp to my hi-fi amp and so for ease of use I need pre amp by-pass on the integrated amp, so in multi-channel mode, everything is controlled by the 5.1 amp and it will be a lot easier to set up.

Two I am considering at the moment are the Prima Luna Dialogue One/Two



and the Bel Canto s300i:



Any suggestions would be much appreciated

Edited by navier_stokes on Friday 17th April 21:07

Edited by navier_stokes on Sunday 19th April 13:26

[allgonepetetong]

need a popcorn smilie - I'd be interested n the recommendatons also.

Alternative is to get a sound meter and commit to memory the level required on your stereo amp to balance.

[navier_stokes]

allgonepetetong said:

Alternative is to get a sound meter and commit to memory the level required on your stereo amp to balance.

Something I want to avoid

[Peter G]

The Bel Canto would at least allow you to accurately set the volume though, rather that guess at the position.

I can't think of any high end amps (and the 2 you mention are definitely heading up the cost chart) which allow it but I'm sure some do.

Mate of mine does the same with his Levinson. Having tuned the levels with an SPL meter and by-ear, he sets the volume to 36.0 everytime when he wants to watch a movie.

The results are spot on.

Or maybe get a 1 box high end AV solution that does music well like a Bryston or Lexicon???

[Plotloss]

Surely you're after a 2 channel power amp?

The reciever will attenuate the line output to set the volume so the line out signal presented to the power amp will vary in level with the volume control of the reciever.

Then just get a seperate 2 channel pre-amp for the 2 channel side of things.

[Peter G]

Plotloss said:

Surely you're after a 2 channel power amp?

The reciever will attenuate the line output to set the volume so the line out signal presented to the power amp will vary in level with the volume control of the reciever.

Then just get a seperate 2 channel pre-amp for the 2 channel side of things.

I think the issue is that the power amp will usually have only one set of inputs, from the hifi preamp. So if your listening to 2 channel and wish to watch a film, you would have to swap cables over so the processor drove the power amp instead of the hifi preamp.

Some power amps will 2 sets (balanced and RCA) but they aren't designed to work together and you could end up getting grounding issues, background noise and at worst case, kit damage if you tried to hook them up simultaneously.

[navier_stokes]

Peter G said:

The Bel Canto would at least allow you to accurately set the volume though, rather that guess at the position.

I can't think of any high end amps (and the 2 you mention are definitely heading up the cost chart) which allow it but I'm sure some do.

Mate of mine does the same with his Levinson. Having tuned the levels with an SPL meter and by-ear, he sets the volume to 36.0 everytime when he wants to watch a movie.

The results are spot on.

Or maybe get a 1 box high end AV solution that does music well like a Bryston or Lexicon???

The Bel Canto does have a pre-amp/home theatre by-pass on one of its inputs so you don't need to set the volume, as does the Prima Luna, which is why I mentioned them

Edited by navier_stokes on Sunday 19th April 13:32

[navier_stokes]

Peter G said:

Plotloss said:

Surely you're after a 2 channel power amp?

The reciever will attenuate the line output to set the volume so the line out signal presented to the power amp will vary in level with the volume control of the reciever.

Then just get a seperate 2 channel pre-amp for the 2 channel side of things.

I think the issue is that the power amp will usually have only one set of inputs, from the hifi preamp. So if your listening to 2 channel and wish to watch a film, you would have to swap cables over so the processor drove the power amp instead of the hifi preamp.

Some power amps will 2 sets (balanced and RCA) but they aren't designed to work together and you could end up getting grounding issues, background noise and at worst case, kit damage if you tried to hook them up simultaneously.

Exactly, I don't want my AV amp as a pre as I'm more concerned about the hi-fi quality, and as Peter points out, not many power amps have two inputs.

The bel canto and prima luna have had great reviews, so I'm sure one or the other will be suitable for my music/speaker tastes, but I was just wondering if there are many other options out there for the same or less price?

Doesen't look like there are too many, or if there are, the pre-amp by-pass isn't well advertised/documented

Edited by navier_stokes on Sunday 19th April 13:33

[Plotloss]

An input doubler wouldnt hurt the signal path immeasurably.

You'll only have one feed on at once.

[navier_stokes]

allgonepetetong said:

need a popcorn smilie - I'd be interested n the recommendatons also.

Alternative is to get a sound meter and commit to memory the level required on your stereo amp to balance.

Found another few: the Musical Fidelity A5.5 and most of the Bryston range of integrateds, although the Brystons start at £2500 which is a bit steep for me!

[carlymart]

some Naim amps allow this and at a cheeper end audiolab have some amps as well