Bypass Preamp& Amp

Maybe my humor was poor.

Nevertheless, lets see if I can help you with your problem. There's a lot of gaps to fill in. I suppose this is a surround system (the question is posted under HT) and I further suppose you have a DVD player which possibly pulls double duty as a CDP. I suppose you are trying out Intergrateds because you want to improve your two channel sound.

You could run the Digital out from the DVD to the Denon and the Analog outs from the DVD to the Intergrated. Hook your primary L/R speakers to the Intergrated. Run the Front L/R preamp outs from the Denon to an available input on the Intergrated. You would have a unity gain issue when in surround but you would have a nice clean seperated signal path for two channel and you could still have surround when you want it. Voila!

I am just taking a guess at what your goal is. For a dumb guy that aint bad is it? Also, in the future, could you please ease up on the Ad Hominem, or at least wait until I've called your favorite piece crappy sounding!

Distort, appreaciate the input and apology. That's pretty much what I am doing right but using HDMI from DVD to Denon. What happens is that both volume pots are fuctioning! I talked to intergrated company today and they assure me this will do no harm to intergrated. But it is degrading sound since the preamp in intergrated is certainly superior to the the denon.

There is a way to do this using the tape out on denon into intergrated but then I lose Dvd signal and only get tv signal. The good news, as you point out, is when playing cds I am utilizing purely the intergrated.

Thanks

"What happens is that both volume pots are fuctioning! I talked to intergrated company today and they assure me this will do no harm to intergrated."

Yes, unity gain. Should be harmless, unless its severly overdriven, in which case you would certainly notice. No worries but a little bit of a pain to balance the two controls.

You're right, the Denon Preamp is (more than likely) degrading the sound. Which is why I recommend removing the Denon from, if nothing else, that particular loop in your system.

You will need to run Analog L/R outs from the DVD player straight to the Intergrated (Using a another input). Thus bypassing the Denon altogether but you would then be relying on your DVDs DACs and output stage. This is a cleaner/straighter wiring scheme and potentially better but only if the DVD player is up to the task.

Some gear will alow different (maybe better) solutions but I am not sure of which models we are talking about. A DVD player which has a good analog section could be just fine hooked up the way I previously described. And BTW, is exactly how I have my DVD player hooked up.

Isn't that what I already said in my post? The integrated has a pre-amp and the only way the 2 pieces can be isolated for A/B is my way.S/he needs to hear the piece by itself. The compromise is the quality of the "Y" connecters.

Yes Willhiteb, I meant to point out that, your suggestion is correct but I forgot. Sorry for being redundent and forgetful. However, no y connectors are necessary in this case.

I fully agree with Willhiteb. If I were demo'ing I would pull the Denon and cleanly install the new Intergrated for a no compromises audition. The wiring scheme I later suggested, is more of a permanent install configuration for a two channel Intergrated and a Surround Receiver living harmoniously in one system.