How Many Use Bypass Mode On Their Gear?

PreCd
PreCd Posts: 786
edited December 2011 in Electronics
I was wondering how many of you who have bypass modes on your gear actually use it or do you prefer the ability to manipulate the music? The most direct path of the music to your speakers by using bypass mode is a more pure form of the signal but I have used both on my preamp and CD player and both have their pros and cons I think.
SDA2BTL
Marantz CD5004
Adcom GFA-545
Bottlehead Quickie Tube Preamp
Post edited by PreCd on
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,545
    edited December 2011
    When you say "bypass" do you mean bypassing tone controls? I haven't had tone controls for 10 years....

    Every layer of "processing" you can eliminate, gets you closer to the music--so generally, it's best to run as direct as possible, unless you've got some serious room acoustics issues.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Source: Rotel CD14MkII CD Player - Speakers: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,396
    edited December 2011
    No tone controls for 20+ years. In fact sometimes when I'm not using my tube pre-amp I run 100% passive.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Puritan Audio PSM136 Pwr Condtioner & Classic PC's | Legend L600 | Roon Nucleus 1 w/LPS - Tubes add soul!
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  • PreCd
    PreCd Posts: 786
    edited December 2011
    steveinaz wrote: »
    When you say "bypass" do you mean bypassing tone controls? I haven't had tone controls for 10 years....

    Every layer of "processing" you can eliminate, gets you closer to the music--so generally, it's best to run as direct as possible, unless you've got some serious room acoustics issues.

    Yep thats it. I have had my setup like that for the little time I have had it. Used tone controls some to see what the differences were, are but I am currently bypassing those tone controls. My CD player also has a bypass mode which I am currently using.
    SDA2BTL
    Marantz CD5004
    Adcom GFA-545
    Bottlehead Quickie Tube Preamp
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  • PreCd
    PreCd Posts: 786
    edited December 2011
    heiney9 wrote: »
    No tone controls for 20+ years. In fact sometimes when I'm not using my tube pre-amp I run 100% passive.

    H9

    What do you mean by running 100% passive?
    SDA2BTL
    Marantz CD5004
    Adcom GFA-545
    Bottlehead Quickie Tube Preamp
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,545
    edited December 2011
    A passive pre adds no gain to the signal--it passes it straight on to the amp. I also run a passive linestage (pre).

    "preamp" is really not the correct term in this context, as that implies there is some "pre"amplification going on; which passives do not do. "Linestage" is more correct when speaking of a passive device.

    If your cd player has it's own volume knob (or if your amp does) you can experiment with plugging your player directly into your amp to hear what it sounds like to run passively.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Source: Rotel CD14MkII CD Player - Speakers: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • PreCd
    PreCd Posts: 786
    edited December 2011
    steveinaz wrote: »
    A passive pre adds no gain to the signal--it passes it straight on to the amp. I also run a passive linestage (pre).

    "preamp" is really not the correct term in this context, as that implies there is some "pre"amplification going on; which passives do not do. "Linestage" is more correct when speaking of a passive device.

    Hm? I wonder if the bypass mode on my Adcom GFP-565 is passive? I think I remember reading that it was. I will check that out tonight.
    SDA2BTL
    Marantz CD5004
    Adcom GFA-545
    Bottlehead Quickie Tube Preamp
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,396
    edited December 2011
    Most if not all pre-amps are active, in that they manipulate the input signal through a few to several stages to amplify the tiny input signal to achieve gain. Each gain stage alters the signal. A passive pre-amp doesn't use any active gain stages. The signal flows in, goes through the volume pot and out to the amplifier. It's the simplest signal path plus it's the least altered. Passive pre-amps can be hard to integrate because of the lack of gain but if the amp and pre can work together the results are quite different than using an active pre-amp.

    Some material I prefer the sound of passive most I prefer active, but it's nice to go minimalistic once in awhile just to change things up.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Puritan Audio PSM136 Pwr Condtioner & Classic PC's | Legend L600 | Roon Nucleus 1 w/LPS - Tubes add soul!
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,396
    edited December 2011
    PreCd wrote: »
    Hm? I wonder if the bypass mode on my Adcom GFP-565 is passive? I think I remember reading that it was. I will check that out tonight.

    It's not. Bypass simply bypasses the tone controls. The Adcom GFP750 preamp has active and passive stages.
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Puritan Audio PSM136 Pwr Condtioner & Classic PC's | Legend L600 | Roon Nucleus 1 w/LPS - Tubes add soul!
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,545
    edited December 2011
    PreCd wrote: »
    Hm? I wonder if the bypass mode on my Adcom GFP-565 is passive? I think I remember reading that it was. I will check that out tonight.

    No, it's still going thru preamplification stages. These "electronics" are absent in a passive linestage. My passive (placette) does nothing but control volume, and it does that with an array of Vishay resistors. Since most sources provide 2 volts or better at their outputs, amps that have an input sensitivity at, or below this can play at full volume without the need of a preamplifier stage. For example, my Parasound amp has an input sensitivity of 1.7 volts to achieve maximum output.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Source: Rotel CD14MkII CD Player - Speakers: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • PreCd
    PreCd Posts: 786
    edited December 2011
    Nope. My Adcom GFP-565 is not passive in bypass mode. <br>

    bypass.jpg
    SDA2BTL
    Marantz CD5004
    Adcom GFA-545
    Bottlehead Quickie Tube Preamp
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,396
    edited December 2011
    Passive isn't all that it's cracked up to be and, IMO, is 100% dependent on the source material.
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Puritan Audio PSM136 Pwr Condtioner & Classic PC's | Legend L600 | Roon Nucleus 1 w/LPS - Tubes add soul!
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  • PreCd
    PreCd Posts: 786
    edited December 2011
    steveinaz wrote: »
    No, it's still going thru preamplification stages.

    You are correct. Well this is still better than running it through the many capacitors inline.
    SDA2BTL
    Marantz CD5004
    Adcom GFA-545
    Bottlehead Quickie Tube Preamp
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,545
    edited December 2011
    heiney9 wrote: »
    Passive isn't all that it's cracked up to be and, IMO, is 100% dependent on the source material.

    ...and the passive linestage design. I have been extremely satisfied with the Placette, and aside from the hokey binary volume indicator (like anyone can make sense of that) it's provided incredible transparency and linearity.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Source: Rotel CD14MkII CD Player - Speakers: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • Joe08867
    Joe08867 Posts: 3,919
    edited December 2011
    Bypass helps get you closer but get something with out the tone controls all together gets you much further.

    I haven't had Tone Controls in 10-15yrs now. It's all about the source.
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  • Danny Tse
    Danny Tse Posts: 5,206
    edited December 2011
    I want my music direct and pure....I think I can handle it.
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  • Gadabout
    Gadabout Posts: 1,072
    edited December 2011
    My 2 channel setup uses a TVC (Transformer Volume Control). 2 knobs. I for input switching and 1 for volume. The other systems are using some kind of Pre Amp that wouldn't be considered passive.

    Scott
    Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid. ..... Frank Zappa
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  • disneyjoe7
    disneyjoe7 Posts: 11,435
    edited December 2011
    There's tone control on equipment??

    Most be something new! I don't seem to have any. :sad:

    Speakers
    Carver Amazing Fronts
    CS400i Center
    RT800i's Rears
    Sub Paradigm Servo 15

    Electronics
    Conrad Johnson PV-5 pre-amp
    Parasound Halo A23
    Pioneer 84TXSi AVR
    Pioneer 79Avi DVD
    Sony CX400 CD changer
    Panasonic 42-PX60U Plasma
    WMC Win7 32bit HD DVR


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  • emy
    emy Posts: 7
    edited December 2011
    My CD player has a bypass mode which I am currently using.Don't know the effect without them.I Like pure music from my car dvd
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