Thanks for the link - very informative - I should have said that the speaker connections are not the issue. I have used preamps (and amps) for many years in bi-amp, bi-wire configurations - but always with hardware with pass-through connections for the pre-amp outputs - hence my question about Y cables.

I received a reply from M today that Y cables are the way to go. My sincere thanks to all for your consideration and replies - very much appreciated.

Does anyone have any response to the XLR to rca wiring question? - do I link pins 1 and 3 at the XLR? (Seems counter-intuitive to me - but I have seen it documented in many places).

Many thanks to all
Liam