[geowak]

I have seperate two-channel systems and a ht system. I found it easier to keep them apart. Budget concerns will often dictate what you can do.

[sfox7076]

I live in a 1400 sq. ft. apartment that allows me one listening space, which is also the site of the only TV in the house.  I spent a long time finding my way, so my advice is this.  Get whatever receiver you like, so long as it has pre-outs (or at least pre-outs for the fronts).  Buy a two channel amp or monoblocks.  Get whatever sources you prefer.  Hook the bluray player/roku/video stuff to the receiver.  Connect the center and surrounds to the receiver.  Buy or build a Tortuga LDR pre-amp.  Connect the receiver's pre-outs to the Tortuga's ist line in and use it as a home theater bypass to the amps.  Line 1 is the receiver, 2 can be your DAC/CD player or what have you, and 3 can be your vinyl rig.  This keeps the sub out of 2 channel music, but still in the mix for the receiver.  That is basically what I do, but with different gear (I use an Anthem D2V for my video rig).  It sounds killer.  I use Salk Exotica 3s, so my subs are in the speaker and are not RCA driven.  The hard issue is matching the volumes for the LDR and the receiver, but that is what ARC is for.

Shawn

[ctviggen]

If you really want a nice, acoustically good and sound proof room, it'll be thousands upon thousands of dollars.  I spent several thousand just on room treatments (9 realtraps plus two substands, plus more that I can't think of right now). And would've liked to have more, plus maybe some diffusion.  And that doesn't touch the actual building of the room, where I did many, many, many weekends of work myself, ran all the wires myself, etc. 

Having two rooms like that just isn't feasible unless you're quite wealthy and have a very, very large house. 

[sfox7076]

If you really want a nice, acoustically good and sound proof room, it'll be thousands upon thousands of dollars.  I spent several thousand just on room treatments (9 realtraps plus two substands, plus more that I can't think of right now). And would've liked to have more, plus maybe some diffusion.  And that doesn't touch the actual building of the room, where I did many, many, many weekends of work myself, ran all the wires myself, etc. 

Having two rooms like that just isn't feasible unless you're quite wealthy and have a very, very large house.

Or being married to a woman who doesn't like treatments.

[ajzepp]

I run preamps with HT Bypass (and separate two channel amps) in two separate systems.   Works well.

Same here...works great! 

[Phil A]

I basically optimize my main system for 2-channel (the room is too open for optimizing for HT as was the case in my old house) and it does HT well (but it would be better in a room designed and more optimal for HT).  A secondary system I have with a preamp with HT Bypass is more optimized for both and is in a regular room that I keep darker so I can watch during the day (FL house with no basement like I had in the old place).  I have another secondary system with a preamp with HT Bypass in a room which would work nicely for HT but I left it 2-channel for now.

I have multiple systems (I tend to end up not selling things and just rotating them to back-up systems) and the system I use most for watching movies is probably the master bedroom where I have a 92 inch screen that disappears into the ceiling with the push of a button (pic below).  The components and speakers (the master bedroom has in-ceiling speakers and two less expensive subs - 10 inch 100W and 8 inch 80W) in the master bedroom are not of the quality of either the main system or the secondary one, but it sounds good enough.  If I feel I want to hear something on a better system, I can always re-watch it.  My old house in VA had a basement and while the room was large it was optimized for HT more than music with ultra braced walls adjacent to the unfinished part where the sub and main speakers were and the rest of the walls where concrete with insulation and framing inside of that.  I had a projector with an 88 inch screen and would watch more movies in there than the main system (where I had the same 100 inch screen as I do now).  I don't have the luxury of the basement now which made it easy to finish with HT optimized.  I do miss the space but it is not practical to do anything in the current layout except perhaps to optimize the one secondary system I have for HT now (have in-ceiling surrounds I will eventually use for Atmos by adding side surrounds) by making the inside of it better for HT.



 

[matthewpartrick]

Great advice peeps, thanks for chiming in.  I'll let you know what I decide.

[BobC]

I'm not sure I understand why some say one cannot integrate a quality 2 channel stereo into a HT.  Here is what I do:

HT: Oppo Bluray HDMI into Marantz AV Receiver > Marantz stereo main L and R pre-out into Odyssey Candela Pre with HT bypass > Odyssey Stratos Mono Extremes > Martin Logan Ascent i's.

This uses the Receiver amps only for center, surround and sub.

Stereo: Bluesound Node > Schiit Gungnir > Odyssey Candela Pre > Stratos Mono's > ML Ascents.

If I want 2.1 Stereo, I can do that too, since my Candela has a 2nd set of outs, which I can run to my sub.  I have a simple 2 way switch at the sub to select source from the Candela or the Receiver.

Just need a high quality stereo pre with HT bypass and you're good to go - keeps the same main amps and speakers.

Am I missing something?

[Phil A]

If I want 2.1 Stereo, I can do that too, since my Candela has a 2nd set of outs, which I can run to my sub.  I have a simple 2 way switch at the sub to select source from the Candela or the Receiver.

Just need a high quality stereo pre with HT bypass and you're good to go - keeps the same main amps and speakers.

Am I missing something?

I concur - have the Candela in a secondary system (pic below).  Already have in-ceiling surrounds and could easily add a receiver have HT.  I have a Rel Strata III sub which I am currently just using the high level input and adjusting the crossover for my speakers.  Could easily integrate a receiver into the picture if I wanted to.

[Early B.]

I'm not sure I understand why some say one cannot integrate a quality 2 channel stereo into a HT. 

Just need a high quality stereo pre with HT bypass and you're good to go - keeps the same main amps and speakers.

Am I missing something?

The OP specifically asked for an "audiophile quality" approach for 2-channel. I suppose it comes down to individual definitions of "audiophile quality." Of course, one can easily cobble together an integrated HT/2-channel solution, but you're gonna be making some serious concessions, IMO. For instance, both my HT and 2-channel are in the same room, but I use different subs because they serve quite different purposes. I would never consider using my HT sub for 2-channel because it's not "audiophile quality." In addition, I wouldn't want to "waste" my good 2-channel amp and preamp (especially if they're tubed) on HT when a used 5 or 7-channel amp will suffice.   

[ajzepp]

I'm not sure I understand why some say one cannot integrate a quality 2 channel stereo into a HT.

You absolutely can. I've always just focused on the two channel aspect primarliy, and then worked in the HT rig through the HT bypass option on my former SAS Audio preamp. I did not feel like I was sacrificing anything. Or, at least I had reached a level of quality that I felt hit the mark in terms of what I was after. I've done it with DeVore Fidelity Super 8s and also Magnepan 3.6s.

[Phil A]

I use two Rel Storm IIIs for music in my main system.  Rels have two inputs, one for normal HT and one (hi-level input) with a flexible crossover and volume control (and it is set-up with a one third octave RTA).  For HT in the main system, I use a Dayton Audio Titanic sub along with one of the Rels.  While my preamp it tubed, I don't turn it on.  It defaults to HT Bypass (Modwright LS 36.5 DM) while off.  Watched 'American Sniper' early and it looked and sounded great.

[ajzepp]

That solves the subwoofer issue, cause you can calibrate it to your 2-channel rig, leave it there, and then use the trim and crossover settings in the reveiver to calibrate it to HT. 

[Phil A]

I have Rels in 3 systems.  In the pic I posted a few posts back it is only used for 2-channel.  In a back-up system, I have a Sherbourn preamp with HT Bypass and an Emotiva XPA200 amp driving B&W P6 along with a Rel Q150E.  Works seamlessly as well.  Have hi-rez files (including DSD) on a drive attached to an Oppo 103D.  Sounds good as a 2-channel entry level high end system (what it is) regardless of being part of a HT system.  Sounds really good as a HT system as it is in a 13x11 ft. room (with 10 ft. ceiling) that is enclosed.  In some ways it is my favorite HT.  Just a 50 inch TV but I only sit 7.5 feet away.

[ted_b]

It is hard work but HT integration with SOTA 2 channel is definitely doable.  Hell, I have 3 systems (in priority order)
1) 2 channel full range system
2) high resolution full range music surround 5.1 ITU setup
3) 7.1 movie setup

Each system has a dedicated signal path and mostly use dedicated amplification.  The fronts are always powered by my monoblocks and my preamp acts as switcher for HT, surround and stereo source going to the l/r's.  The stereo setup is king, and my biggest two aspects that keep it as king are:
1) pull the speakers into the room for great stereo soundstaging
2) floating wall (400 lb) behind the video screen acts as a helmoltz resonator and cleans up the soundstage for both stereo and surround.  The screen and it's issues are moot.

I have put an enormous amount of energy into room treatments, and even the side diffusor/polyhedra panels are designed for best side wall imaging of hirez surround music.  The diffusor cloud addresses all three systems. 

[Bob in St. Louis]

.............and then Tom Ted comes in and make most of us feel inadequate.     


Awesome room Tom. I'm envious.   

[ted_b]

.............and then Tom comes in and make most of us feel inadequate.     


Awesome room Tom. I'm envious.   

Thanks Dan!   

[JohnR]

Bill hasn't had enough coffee yet...

[Bob in St. Louis]

I'm at work and typed that while I was on the phone.
"Multi-tasking FAIL". 

Sorry. 

Boob 

[ted_b]

LOL.  No issues; I am confused with Tom Brady all the time, and my wife with his.   

Seriously, the reason I wanted to post was not to show off but to say that it can be done, and at a fairly high level (which is more difficult, as one perspective tends to bleed into the other if you are not careful, and a high resolving system will not let you mistakenly miss that!).  I will put my stereo soundstage/sq/imaging/etc up against any dedicated 2 channel setup (again, sorry, don't mean to sound like it's a competition, just that I don't feel I've compromised 2 channel quality 1%).

The biggest plus in surround music setup is to have full range in all channels and have them timbre-matched and equidistant in iTU setup (much better to do in real space than deal with delays, excessive bass mgmt, etc...especially when trying to support DSD).  I've compromised timbre-matching since I upgraded my mains to the Aerial 20Ts, but one aspect of their winning my approval was that they match very nicely with the SP Tech Continuums for phase and timbre, so the soundfield is not hugely different.