I'm coming into this thread somewhat late, but I agree with ryanosaur, slipperybidness, 2channel lover, Peng, and all the others.
We often get questions about bi-amping from people who have a multi-channel AV receiver but who use fewer speakers in their system. They ask if they should convert those unused channels to bi-amp their front speakers. Apparently, AV receiver makers have built-in the ability to redirect the signal for the front left & right speakers into two unused channels, and they prominently tout that as an advantageous feature.
Bi-amping an AV receiver in such a manner is of no value at all. Why?
The limiting factor of any amplifier is the capability of its power supply transformer. In a sense, the power supply transformer acts like a car's engine, and the power output transistors act more like a car's transmission. If you want more power, you need a bigger power supply transformer. There is no way around this fact. With an AV receiver, you have one power supply transformer with its power divided among the various output channels. If you have 5 speakers and a 7 channel AV receiver, and convert 2 unused audio channels into a bi-amped 5 channel system, you haven't added any ability to deliver power. Only by adding external amps, with their additional power supply transformers can you deliver more power to speakers.
It's a real disservice that AV receiver makers tout the benefits of bi-amping in their manuals. It is wrong and causes a lot of confusion. It think it may stem from the fact that people pay a lot of money for their receivers and want to take advantage of those 2 unused channels if they have a 5 channel surround system.
It is important to understand what the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires when AV receiver makers state their amplifier power specifications. Look at what Marantz says in the owner’s manual for its
SR6009 AV receiver. Look at page 266 for Specifications:
Front:
110 W + 110 W (8 Ω/ohms, 20 Hz – 20 kHz with 0.08 % T.H.D.)
150 W + 150 W (6 Ω/ohms, 1 kHz with 0.7 % T.H.D.)
Center:
110 W (8 Ω/ohms, 20 Hz – 20 kHz with 0.08% T.H.D.)
150 W (6 Ω/ohms, 1 kHz with 0.7 % T.H.D.)
Surround:
110 W + 110 W (8 Ω/ohms, 20 Hz – 20 kHz with 0.08 % T.H.D.)
150 W + 150 W (6 Ω/ohms, 1 kHz with 0.7 % T.H.D.)
Surround back / Front height/wide:
110 W + 110 W (8 Ω/ohms, 20 Hz – 20 kHz with 0.08 % T.H.D.)
150 W + 150 W (6 Ω/ohms, 1 kHz with 0.7 % T.H.D.
First of all, pay attention only to the power ratings at 8 ohms, at the full audio frequency range of 20 Hz - 20 kHz. They're all 110 W. Ignore those higher power ratings of 150 W as they're done at lower impedance of 6 ohms, at a single frequency of 1 kHz, and at nearly 10-fold greater THD.
Note that these power ratings are all stated as 110 W + 110 W.
The reason for this somewhat odd looking way of stating power is that the FTC requires power be rated when 2 channels are driven. What power is available when all channels are driven is not stated, nor is it required by the FTC (
see section IIB in the third column). This receiver may be powerful enough when all channels are driven, but it certainly will not be as high as 110 watts per channel. Although nothing said in manual fails to comply with what the FTC requires, it still misleads nearly everyone who reads that.
In comparison,
the Denon AVR-X8500H has these power ratings (below). Again, pay attention only to the power ratings at 8 ohms and at the full audio frequency range. Ignore the higher power ratings done at 6 ohms. And as above for the Marantz AVR, these power ratings are done when 2 channels are driven. It says nothing about when all channels are driven.
Front:
150 W + 150 W (8 Ω/ohms, 20 Hz – 20 kHz with 0.05 % T.H.D.)
190 W + 190 W (6 Ω/ohms, 1 kHz with 0.7 % T.H.D.)
Center:
150 W (8 Ω/ohms, 20 Hz – 20 kHz with 0.05 % T.H.D.)
190 W (6 Ω/ohms, 1 kHz with 0.7 % T.H.D.)
Surround:
150 W + 150 W (8 Ω/ohms, 20 Hz – 20 kHz with 0.05 % T.H.D.)
190 W + 190 W (6 Ω/ohms, 1 kHz with 0.7 % T.H.D.)
Surround back / Height1 / Height2 / Height3 / Height4/Front wide:
150 W + 150 W (8 Ω/ohms, 20 Hz – 20 kHz with 0.05 % T.H.D.)
190 W + 190 W (6 Ω/ohms, 1 kHz with 0.7 % T.H.D.)
So to return to the bi-amp question, when you drive 2 speakers with 4 amplifier channels instead of 2 with an AVR, how much power is available to the speakers? Short of doing your own measurements (if you had the right instruments), you won't know for certain. Those 3rd party measurements of all channels driven are probably the best available info.
With these AVRs, and probably most or all others, you are diverting the existing power available from one large power supply transformer to multiple outputs. You are not delivering greater power to your speakers. Let's briefly go back to the car engine & transmission analogy. In a 4-wheel drive vehicle, you have only one engine. It doesn't matter if you switch from 2-wheel drive to 4-wheel drive, you still have the same engine with the same power. This is similar to reassigning power outputs on an AVR, as you've done.