To start with, I already have a separate HT system in the basement. I've had the tv in the living room hooked up to my dac via optical (which works) through my hifi setup. Unfortunately my dac, like most hifi dacs, doesn't decode dolby digital which streams via Netflix, etc., so no sound. I've purchased a soundbar and it works with the streaming services but the sound kind of sucks...better than my tv but dialogue is not the best. I know I can spend big bucks on soundbars but I'd rather listen through my hifi setup if possible. My dac (Benchmark DAC3L) does have HT bypass, and I've thought about just buying a cheap HT receiver with main preouts and run through the Benchmark. The other option I've considered is a higher end processor that I could use as a preamp, but I'm concerned I'd sacrifice 2 channel sound quality. The rest of my system is PS Audio M700's, Salk Streamer and Salk Encores. My wife's recently had a knee replacement so she's not going up and down stairs, so using the HT setup isn't an option, but I'd like a long term option for the living room regardless. Any thoughts?
