Now You Can Enjoy Hi-Fi Music and Movies in One System - Connection Diagram

[geekwithfamily]

The above hi-fi music and home theater hybrid connection diagram shows how I connected my system for best performance with both music and movies as I explained in the previous post (click diagram for a larger view).
No matter the source, analog or digital, I run the front two channels and subwoofer through the analog amplification section (orange and down the left in the chart). The Rogue 99 pre-amp has an home theater bypass switch. When the switch is flipped to the HT position the pre-amp does not need to be on, all of its circuitry is, uh, bypassed and the Onkyo L/R pre-amp outputs flow straight to the Anthem MCA-2 amp and Hsu VTF-2 sub; when the switch is in the pre-amp position the Onkyo is out of the loop and I can listen to my analog sources (turntable, CD and the Onkyo receiver's DAC'ed Airtunes) straight through the Rogue 99 pre-amp and Anthem amp using its volume control.

The diagram is self explanatory except for one major element: bass management. No bass management is happening in the digital realm (in the Onkyo). I bass manage the Onkyo as follows: front channels to large, surround channels to small, no subwoofer (I don't have a center channel loudspeaker, I get a more 3D movie soundstage with just the stereo front channels and surrounds). Running the front channels as large with no sub pre-out routes all the surround speakers' bass (below 80 Hz) and the .1 LFE channel to the front channels. Now you might be scratching your head, thinking, "He's got a subwoofer right in the middle of those speakers, why is it off?" I'm only telling the Onkyo processor that I have no sub so I can get all the bass information into the left and right channels. Those front channels are routed to the Rogue 99 pre-amp and it passes the full range signals to both the Anthem MCA-2 amp and the Hsu VTF-2 subwoofer. To get the smoothest bass and not strain my amp or Vandersteen 1c's, Audio Concept's Inline RCA High Pass Filters roll off the bass at 85 Hz with a 6 dB first order slope (the slope is smooth and in line with the Vandersteen's native crossovers). The Hsu VTF-2 subwoofer uses its low pass crossover to cut the full range signal the other way starting at around 85 Hz.
If you want to hear the best from your music collection on CD, vinyl and even wireless Apple Lossless over Airtunes music files, you must separate your front stereo channels and subwoofer into an analog amplification section. With the described set up and some creative wiring and bass management you can also switch out the analog pre-amp and regain all the volume control, AV switching, DSPs and multi-channel surround sound from your flagship AV processor or receiver.
Fell free to ask any questions in the comments on the best way to improve your own music and movie hybrid system. Better yet, share your own tips and tricks to achieve audio and video nirvana.
Tags: airtunes anthem mca Audiophile bass management Home Audio Electronics Home Theater hsu Multi Channel Audio onkyo receiver pre amp outputs subwoofer surround speakers vandersteenairtunes, anthem mca, Audiophile, bass management, Home Audio Electronics, Home Theater, hsu, Multi Channel Audio, onkyo receiver, pre amp outputs, subwoofer, surround speakers, vandersteen

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[MACCA350]

One question, why use a separate Pre-Amp for CD and Turntable when you can use the Pre-Amp section in the Receiver and still connect your Anthem to its Pre-Amp outputs, just hit the 'Pure Direct'(or Onkyo equivalent) button and the Receiver won't do any digital processing?

Another thing, in both scenarios you are relying on the CD player for the DA conversion, Have you compared this to having the receiver do the conversion?

If you want to hear the best from your music collection on CD, vinyl and even wireless Apple Lossless over Airtunes music files, you must separate your front stereo channels and subwoofer into an analog amplification section.

This is what happens in the receiver anyway unless you have a D-class amp.

I'm not trying to nit-pick, I'm just trying to understand the reasons for doing this.
Cheers

[Bruce]

I did a very similiar scenario, except I found a 6dB slope for the bass high-pass to the main speakers to be unacceptable (too much of the same bass from 3 speaker sources: main L&R & sub). I use Dynaudio Contour 2.8 towers (2-way 6dB 1st order xover and -3dB @32Hz) for my L&R mains with an M&K subwoofer.

I found a symmetrical 24dB Linkwitz-Riley high-pass and low-pass electronic xover to do a much better job of smoothly integrating a sub with main speakers. Then, from the low-pass output of the electronic xover (not passive which is mostly used for automobile systems) you can add a parametric EQ to help minimize bass room modes to smooth out and match overall response between mains and sub.

System diagram:

2-channel sources and HT L&R (like diagram above) --> 2-channel preamp inputs L&R --> electronic xover L&R inputs

xover L&R high-pass outputs --> amps main L&R inputs --> main L&R speakers

xover L&R low-pass outputs --> parametric EQ (BFD) L&R --> powered sub

[geekwithfamily]

Macca

The reason to integrate an analogue pre-amp for my music sources is because it sounds better. I first read about the idea in the Audio Perfectionist Journal where Richard Hardesty and Shane Buettner convinced me that an HT receiver/processor will always give you compromised performance because of their jack-of-all-trades feature list like video switching, DSPs, neglected phono section etc. For best musical fidelity they posited that a separate analog only pre-amp would sound better as it is dedicated to one thing: music reproduction. The Rogue 99 pre-amp has an external power supply, high quality, separate line stage and phono tubed gain sections and other high quality electronics that contribute to its superior sound.

Before investing in separate amplification, I did try the Onkyo's direct mode but was always dissatisfied. As an example, with the Onkyo receiver I had annoying sibilance distortions (spitting on vocals) until the Rogue/Anthem combo smoothed them out.

I use the CD player's DAC because it sounds better than the Onkyo's. I use the Onkyo's DAC for the Airtunes play because I can't afford a separate DAC right now.

Thanks for the read. Sorry it took so long to reply, it's been a busy week.