HT bypass and subwoofer outputs

[MaxPlumage]

Hello members

 

Just wondering if your stereo preamp disengages subwoofer outputs when using it in home theater bypass mode?

 

The Rotel RC 1590 does not - which I don't think should happen if running a preamp in bypass mode.

 

Keen to hear your experience with different brands.

 

Thanks.

[betty boop]

3 minutes ago, MaxPlumage said:

 

Hello members

 

Just wondering if your stereo preamp disengages subwoofer outputs when using it in home theater bypass mode?

 

The Rotel RC 1590 does not - which I don't think should happen if running a preamp in bypass mode.

 

Keen to hear your experience with different brands.

 

Thanks.

 

i dont have my subwoofer running off 2ch pre amp. typically for ht bypass all a 2ch pre is going to be doing is bypassing the main pre stage ie volume control and so it works as a pass through of L&R main in straight through to power amplifier. its usually a 2.0 device not 2.1 or 2.2  ie 2 channel

[MaxPlumage]

i dont have my subwoofer running off 2ch pre amp. typically for ht bypass all a 2ch pre is going to be doing is bypassing the main pre stage ie volume control and so it works as a pass through of L&R main in straight through to power amplifier. its usually a 2.0 device not 2.1 or 2.2 [emoji4] ie 2 channel [emoji4]

Thanks Betty.

 

So just to confirm you are saying that the 2ch preamp sub outs should *not* be active in HT bypass mode, correct?

 

 

 

[betty boop]

1 minute ago, MaxPlumage said:

Thanks Betty.

So just to confirm you are saying that sub outs should *not* be active in HT bypass mode, correct?
 

I cant imagine why it woudl bypassing them as outputs in same ways as doesnt bypass their standard pre outs  i woudl check specifically per models but woudl suggest they will be treated as any other pre out

[Quark]

Provided you have your L&R speakers set to Small, your AVR shouldn't be sending any bass signal under your LFE crossover level (typically 80Hz) to your stereo pre-amp.  So any sub output it has doesn't need to be inactivated.

 

Setting your L&R speakers to Large in your AVR changes everything, of course.

[MaxPlumage]

Thanks, agree. I was pretty bummed out when the Rotel RC 1590 always put out a signal on the sub outs. I had my avr connected direct to subs LFE in and also 2ch preamp (1590) hooked up to subs line in, hoping to use either or. But the bass signal doubled up (signal from avr and 2ch got summed even though going through separate inputs on the sub) in HT mode. SVS confirmed that indeed signals to both inputs simultaneously get summed....this wouldn't have been an issue of the preamp didn't put out sub out in HT mode....

Something to keep in mind for those looking at sub integration across HT and 2ch.

[Irek]

What if you connect AVR directly to power amp and switch off the stereo preamp. 

If it works then maybe RCA splitter would solve the issue.

[Soundfever]

Looking at the manual the Rotel 1590 does not have a HT bypass function. It has a tone bypass which means no processing giving a "pure sound". So the signal from your AVR pre out would be full range (depends on the speaker setting) and the bass will be included in the signal thus giving a signal to the sub output. 

[MaxPlumage]

Looking at the manual the Rotel 1590 does not have a HT bypass function. It has a tone bypass which means no processing giving a "pure sound". So the signal from your AVR pre out would be full range (depends on the speaker setting) and the bass will be included in the signal thus giving a signal to the sub output. 

I think you're confusing tone bypass and fixed gain.

The Rotel RC 1590 has the ability to set an input as 'Fixed' and set the level. This is their 'HT Bypass'...

[MaxPlumage]

What if you connect AVR directly to power amp and switch off the stereo preamp. 
If it works then maybe RCA splitter would solve the issue.

This sounds like a great idea to try out. I don't need a splitter, the AVR goes straight to amp RCA, the preamp goes straight to amp XLR.

The amp has a switch to select between then.

Only concern with the switch on amp is there might be cross talk between RCA and XLR even when you have selected only one.

[Soundfever]

@MaxPlumage I see, yes fixed gain would be similar or doing what HT function is doing. From what you are saying, the Rotel just treat the signal as it is and split it as it is a variable gain to normal output and sub output. I think this the same design for most Pre amp.