Bedroom setup: use surrounds also as stereo

[wackowizzard]

As a noob audiophile in the planning stage of a renovation, I am looking for some advice please.

In the bedroom I want to have this setup:
- a TV with LCR or passive soundbar in front + 2 surround rear left / right passive speakers
- connected to an AVR that is located in another room (media rack)
- also in the media rack is a network streamer (like the Wiim Pro Plus)

So, I have these connections:
- a fiber optical HDMI: AVR >> TV (eARC)
- speaker cable: AVR >> LCR speaker or passive soundbar
- speaker cable: AVR >> each surround speaker
- network streamer: Wiim >> AVR

Question:

- How to use the surround speakers as stereo pair when playing music via the network streamer in the bedroom? How to connect the speakers so I can use them in both setups: as a surround channel and as a stereo pair?

- Even more ideally: I can use the surround speakers separately from each other as well, so not as a stereo pair. Use case: I can use the speaker on my side of the bed as an alarm clock with a bit less disturbance for my wife.

Thanks for the tips!

 

[wackowizzard]

is "bypass mode" a solution here? If so, which AVR is recommended for my intended setup?

Quote:
"In AVR use the Integrated Amp is set to "bypass mode" (also called processor mode and other things depending on the manufacturer) which turns it into a power amp with the volume controlled by the AVR via the left F/R pre-outs (not any room EQ in the AVR if it has it will need to be rerun once the Integrated stereo amp is setup).

For Music mode, the AVR can be switched off and the Integrated amp set to whatever source you want to use and off you go, volume is controlled by the integrated amp.

All multi channel sources (blue ray, DVD, TV Box etc.) are connect to inputs on the AVR and stereo sources (Turntable, CD, Streamer etc.) are connected to the inputs on the Integrated Stereo Amp."