Hybrid Tube/Solid State 5.1 Home Theater

[Joe Willis]

I'm looking for a good value in a home theater amplifier. I would like tube amplification for 2 channel but would also like to have 5.1 surround for things like Blue Ray and DTV I listen to a lot of records and would like to keep the sound of some valves.
If you have any suggestions something that would be rite for me or a combination that would work. I'd like to here from you!
Thanks Joe

[whoaru99]

Unfortunately, the simplest route of getting a preamp with HT bypass to feed the tube amp, while using the other SS gear for the HT rig, is probably also the most expensive.

There may be workaround by using integrated amp and the like, but that gets into too much hassle for me. Keeping the multiple volume controls set properly for good HT and all is a PITA, IMO.

[genojayhawk]

Couldnt you use tube amps as external ams fed though a 5.1 reciever?


Just need to calibrate everything once and leave it. or am i missing something?

[Joe Willis]

I think I would not like the signal to run through the 5.1 first because my main interest in the tubes are the tone controls. Unless the 5.1 would bypass the tone controls on the pass through... that could work.

[Chazb11]

My HK receiver would bypass the tone controls for a pass through but browsing through the on screen display to change settings back and forth would be more trouble than it's worth, to me anyways.
The problem with home theater equipment is that it has so many setup options that it gets confusing and changing them is not as easy as flipping a switch dedicated to the task!

[whoaru99]

The HT bypass occurs not in the HT receiver, but in the 2-ch preamp that is placed between the HT receiver/processor and the amp.

All your HT sources are connected to the HT receiver, but your 2-ch/analog sources are plugged into the 2-ch preamp.

So, when you use HT, the signal for front L/R goes from the HT receiver/processor through the preamp HT bypass at unity gain (so no calibration change) then to the power amps.

When you wish to use the pure 2-ch system, you switch off the HT bypass on the preamp, then play the 2-ch/analog sources directly through the 2-ch preamp to the amp and speakers. This bypasses the HT receiver for your critical 2-ch sources to stay in the fully analog domain, but still allows the convenience of HT without messing with multiple volume controls, recalibration of the levels, etc.

[SpruceMoose]

i used a 4pdt switch to share my front l/r speakers between my ht and my analog tube rig. just flip the switch and fire up whichever rig i plan to run.