Parasound
®
200 Pre Owner’s Manual
Page 8
Bypass Input
The Bypass input jacks are used to integrate the 200 Pre with an additional audio source that has its own
volume control. The most common example is a music streaming device such as a Sonos
®
Connect
®
. Other
sources with their own volume control include a separate AV surround sound receiver or pre-amp, an
additional house audio controller or a bluetooth adapter. A source connected to the Bypass input will be
audible when the 200 Pre is turned off or by selecting the Bypass input when the unit is turned on.
The Bypass input works by passing the incoming L, R and Sub channels directly through to the L, R and Sub
output jacks. None of the 200 Pre circuits or controls has any effect on the bypassed signals. The 200 Pre is
thus transparent to the Left, Right and Subwoofer(s) outputs from your surround sound processor or receiver
and passes them on to your amplifier(s) and Subwoofer(s).
In order to use the 200 Pre Bypass function
your AV/surround sound receiver must have line level preamp output jacks. You can’t use Zone 2
preamp output jacks.
The 200 Pre’s Bypass function is a direct connection between its L, R and Sub Bypass Input jacks and its Main
and Sub output jacks. All controls are excluded from the bypass signal path.
Adjusting the 200 Pre
V
olume will not change the volume level of the Bypass input.
The Bass and Treble Tone controls do not function; frequency response is flat, regardless of
how these controls are adjusted.
The Left/Right Balance control does not function; channel balance is equal, regardless of how
this control is adjusted.
The Subwoofer Level and on/off control does not function.
The Main Outputs are full range, regardless of the crossover settings.
Both Subwoofer Outputs are full range.
The exclusions above are intentional so your surround sound receiver bass management menu settings and
volume control function normally when you are listening to surround sound with the Left, Right and Sub
channels routed through the 200 Pre. Please see the owner’s manual for your surround sound receiver or
processor to set the proper speaker levels, distance and bass management. If you have already calibrated your
surround sound system, there is no need to recalibrate your system after adding the 200 Pre. Don’t forget that
the volume control on the 200 Pre does not work when the Bypass Input is selected. Use the volume control on
your surround sound AVR or processor.
Connecting an AVR to the Bypass Input
Connect your surround sound receiver’s Left, Right & Sub(s) Preamp output jacks to the 200 Pre’s Left, Right &
Sub(s) Bypass Input jacks. Two Bypass Subwoofer Input jacks are included in case you have two Subwoofers
and your surround receiver includes two Subwoofer out jacks. With a single Subwoofer you can use either the
Sub 1 or Sub 2 Input jacks.
Selecting the Bypass Input
The Bypass Input can be selected by two different methods:
200 Pre is Already Turned On:
When the 200 Pre is turned on you can select the Bypass input with the remote control or the front
panel Input selector knob.
200 Pre is Turned Off:
The Bypass input is automatically selected whenever the 200 Pre is turned off. This makes it easy
to use your surround sound equipment even without turning the 200 Pre on. The 200 Pre must be
turned on for the Balanced XLR outputs to function.
The 200 Pre Bypass Inputs should not be connected directly to any source component with a fixed
output level. Examples are CD players, most Blu-ray/DVD players, tape decks or tuners. Since there is
no volume control with the Bypass input the full voltage output from the source will go directly to the
power amplifier. The sound level could be extremely high and could damage your speakers.
