Because of this, the internal preamp of your AV receiver will not be calibrated for music quality.įor this reason, some high-end AV receivers have an HT Bypass or Direct In input that bypasses the AV receiver’s internal preamp and powers the signal directly as it is. The problem you’ll run into is that a home theater sound system is designed for movies and shows, not music. So let’s say you want your home theater system to double as your listening room. Actually, if you’re reading an article about preamps, you probably are an audiophile. However, there are some rare instances where an external preamp may not be your best option, but your only option. In actuality, preamps are designed to be paired with power amplifiers, not these other sorts of sound-amplifying devices.

If you were to hook an external preamplifier directly into any of these you’d likely have to turn the volume on the device way down to compensate and might get some audio distortion due to the extra gain.įor this reason, if you want to hook up an external preamp to one of these devices, you will need to find a way to bypass the internal preamp. Most audio-producing devices come equipped with a preamp from your AV receiver to guitar amplifiers to televisions. Preamplifiers condition electrical sound signals so they can be further processed and amplified by a power amplifier, which adds current gain, allowing it to drive loudspeakers. The preamplifier provides a degree of voltage gain to make it resistant to interference. What Is a Preamp?Ī preamp takes a weak high impedance signal and converts it to a noise-tolerant low impedance signal sufficient for further processing. There are, however, situations in which using an external preamp will be necessary. AV receivers already have built-in preamps that handle the volume, EQ, and gain, and many are not outfitted to accept an external preamp.

Adjust your preamp’s volume to your liking.įor the most part, a preamp is unnecessary if you have an AV receiver.

Turn the volume all the way down on your preamp before switching over to the HT Bypass/Direct In channel.

Plug the output of your preamp into the HT Bypass/Direct In input of your receiver.

Find the AV receiver’s Home Theater (HT) Bypass or Direct In port.

Hooking up a preamp to your AV receiver is pretty simple if your receiver has the capability: In particular, if you have a stereo signal with no volume control that you’re trying to play through your 3.x or higher surround sound system.

Even though your AV receiver already has a built-in preamp, there are certain conditions where hooking up an external preamp to your AV receiver might be necessary. Okay, so you have a preamp that you need to hook up to your AV receiver.

Audio tuner hook up to receiver