Basement is making progress every day.
This week it's the final coat of paint, electrical comes on, and plumbing is finished. Next 2 weeks the HVAC comes alive and the floors go in... if all goes well.
As to the Tact in 'bypass'... I think since it bypasses the processing required to do RCS, it does get a little more transparent. If your room benefits more from RCS, it's worth the slight decrease in transparency. To me, the preamp sounded awesome on its own, compared in bypass mode to other preamps in the 2-5,k range. It definitely held its own in 'shootouts'. The fact that it also had RCS was a real bonus.
To get the best of both worlds, you'll have to do physical room treatments and leave it in bypass.. or live with the imperfections produced by your room... or the slight lack of transparency.
decisions, decisions...
-C