Bi- wiring, Bi-amping and connecting speaker wire to a capable speaker

[newtoaudio90]

Hi guys

Three questions

1. When you have dual outputs on a speaker to allow bi-amping/wiring and you leave the short clip on- and connect only one speaker wire... is there a preference to the high or low ports?

2. I understand the concept of bi amping- do you think there is a definite improvement in quality?

3. Again, concept understood but what is the advantage of bi-wiring? its essentially the same amount of power?

4. When bi- wiring, will you half impedance as two wires are going into one port? For example a 8 ohm speaker with bi- wiring capability to a 8 ohm amp. Separate the signal into two and put in two wires will the impedance now be 4? (as with running parallel speakers)

 

[Adam]

I'll leave the other questions to the experts (or to your research - it's been asked a lot around here).

1. When you have dual outputs on a speaker to allow bi-amping/wiring and you leave the short clip on- and connect only one speaker wire... is there a preference to the high or low ports?

It won't matter at all which input you use. You can use either "+" input and either "-" input. Both top, bottom bottom, or diagonal. With the shorting clips in place, the two inputs connected by a clip act as one.

 

[Irvrobinson]

I understand the concept of bi amping- do you think there is a definite improvement in quality?

You'll almost never experience an audible improvement from bi-amping. You might get an improvement if your speakers have some very unusual load characteristics, but the vast majority of speakers don't. Unless you have some evidence that your speakers are a really difficult load they probably aren't.

Again, concept understood but what is the advantage of bi-wiring? its essentially the same amount of power?

It is exactly the same amount of power. Bi-wiring is even less likely to result in an improvement than bi-amping. All that bi-wiring accomplishes is the halving of the resistance of the speaker cables, which is insignificant if you are using cables of the appropriate diameter. If you are using cables of 14 gauge or larger the chance of any improvement is probably close to zero.

With bi- wiring, will you half impedance as two wires are going into one port? For example a 8 ohm speaker with bi- wiring capability to a 8 ohm amp. Separate the signal into two and put in two wires will the impedance now be 4? (as with running parallel speakers)

No. As I mentioned above, you only halve the resistance of the cable itself, which is probably insignificant. For example, 12 gauge copper cables have a resistance of .0016 ohms per foot.

 

[j_garcia]

Try a search. This has been covered TO DEATH already about a billion times.

 

[njedpx3]

Magnets

I'll leave the other questions to the experts (or to your research - it's been asked a lot around here).


It won't matter at all which input you use. You can use either "+" input and either "-" input. Both top, bottom bottom, or diagonal. With the shorting clips in place, the two inputs connected by a clip act as one.

Be careful you need opposites on magnets to attract two + + or two - - will repel and repel is always bad.