[Bill Baker]

We are looking for your opinion on whether or not a home theater bypass switch has any place in a high end linestage.

 Another question is if you do have and/or use a HT bypass switch within your tube preamp, do you leave the preamp on when in HT mode or turn it off?

Other options your feel are important?

 Your comments are welcome.

(This is not in regard to the BellaMax)

[Big Red Machine]

It slowed the sale of my unit.  Lots of folks with dual purpose rooms.

[Bigfish]

We are looking for your opinion on whether or not a home theater bypass switch has any place in a high end linestage.  Yes!

 Another question is if you do have and/or use a HT bypass switch within your tube preamp, do you leave the preamp on when in HT mode or turn it off?  The preamp is turned-off when it is in the HT mode.

Other options your feel are important?  Remote!

 Your comments are welcome.

Bill:

Thanks for asking and I answered in the body of your message above.

Ken

[Bill Baker]

Thans for the comments Ken,
 I agree remote is a key feature these days which is why we will be offering remote even in our BellaMax which is also available with HT Bypass although it is designed to switch into HT bypass with the unit not powered on. Is this a problem for anyone?

 The POLL is actually for a much higer end unit which makes me wonder if there is a level where purist do not want any additional circuitry in the way?

[srb]

The POLL is actually for a much higer end unit which makes me wonder if there is a level where purist do not want any additional circuitry in the way?

Don't know if this helps, but a number of people in the Bryston Owners Circle had voiced that they wished the $3895 BP-26 preamp had HT Bypass.  That may be well under the purist level you mention.
 
Steve

[dmatt]

My living room system has to do double duty. 

That's why, as much as I would like to try tube amps for my L / R channels, I stick with solid state (albeit really good solid state).  That's also why I need an HT bypass on my pre-amp.  I get a great 2 channel experience when I'm in the room, powering up the tube pre, and the rest of the time the family can easily use the HT for audio, TV, movies, by controlling everything though the AV Receiver.

As someone said earlier, the (almost) best of both worlds.

David

[Gaara]

We are looking for your opinion on whether or not a home theater bypass switch has any place in a high end linestage.

 Another question is if you do have and/or use a HT bypass switch within your tube preamp, do you leave the preamp on when in HT mode or turn it off?

I had a Modwright tube pre w/ HT Bypass, one of the reasons I sold it was the unit needed to be on for the HT Bypass to work.  My room would get hot enough with everything else running, add in a tube pre and it was just to much.  Then there was the decrease in tube life to boot.

[jermmd]

I agree completeley with Ken (BigFish).

[hmen]

When I'm watching TV I often switch to music during the commercials so I always keep the whole system on.

[JakeJ]

I guess I'm the odd man out here as I voted no.  But my systems are separate and in different rooms so I am biased.  I do plan to do a dedicated AV room in my basement in the future but still plan to keep my systems completely separate.

However, if I were to combine them and planned on using a tubed preamp I definitely would look for units with an HT bypass and of course I would not want to be burning tubes for watching movies.

Just my .02

JakeJ

[Bill Baker]

Thank you everyone who voted and shared some comments. This poll tells us what we needed to know.

[shadowlight]

My setup is dual purpose so would love ht bypass mode while turned off and a remote is a requirement.