[Karnaaj]

I was wondering if there was any way to put an integrated amp into a home theater setup?  I have an Onkyo 797 receiver which is great for watching movies but not so good for listening to music.  Therefore I am looking for a nice integrated amp (Plinius?) for music.  I will eventually go to separates when money allows, but that won't be for awhile yet.  TIA

[michael w]

Many newer integrated amps (like the Plinius 8200/9200 ) have a processor loop for hooking up an AVR.

Switch the AVR in for movies, surround music etc.

Switch it out for pure two channel music.

[lextek]

Krell also offer Theater Through.  You use it it drive the front channels for the HT.  When you want to just do 2-channel you hit a switch.  Your source is connected to the integrated and is seperate from the HT.

[Karnaaj]

Thanks for the replies.  I was hoping to hear that.    

[greve]

I have successfully used an Arcam A85 integrated amp like this for several years. Works just fine. Main point to keep in mind is that your receiver needs to have pre-outs, otherwise it won't work.

[gongos]

I was wondering about this exact same thing. How would you go about hooking up an intergrated to a receiver w/ preouts. Is it possible to do it so it works with both HT and 2-channel, or to seperate the 2? I'd like to be able to use my receiver to HT and the intergrated for 2-channel. I don't have an intergrated yet, but it doesn't seem that obvious to me how I can seperate the 2 while the intergrated is hooked up to the preamp imputs of my B&K AVR 202. Maybe it's easy, and I'm just not seeing it.

[greve]

It is easy.

You run all 2 ch through the integrated, i.e. you connect your CD etc. to thh appropriate input on the integrated amp and then you connect the 2 front left+right speakers to the speaker output of the integrated amp.

Then you connect the preouts for front left+right to the dedicated AV input on the integrated amp (this can have many names - the characteristic is that you can fix the gain level of this input to be say 90% of full volume (or even 100%). This means that the integrated amp will act as a power amp for this input with a fixed gain.

You then connect the remaining speakers to the AV Receiver (Center, Read left+right etc.). The sub usually goes on the receiver sub output too (although I had good results hooking mine up in parallel to the the front left+right, but that's another story).

Your DVD player will be connected (digitally) to the AV Receiver as the surround decoders are in this unit.

With a bit of luck this will all work and you have the "best of both worlds".

Just shout if you need more info.

[Inscrutable]

Any preamp or integrated can be used if your receiver has pre-outs.  You just feed the L/R pre-outs to an aux or tape input on the 2-ch pre (or integrated).  All your 2-ch sources go to the pre.  If the pre does not have a unity gain (or HT pass-thru) feature, you just calibrate your HT with the 2-ch pre's volume at a known reference position.   When you do movies, you select aux and return the pre's volume to the reference position.  From then on all the control is by your receiver.