Why BI-Amplifie

[lmarc78]

Does anyone know what the pro's and con's to Bi-Amplifying are?
I'm pretty much know what most pro's are but haven't heard anything bad about doing it let me know what you think.

 

[zildjian]

The only aspect to biamping that I can think of to mention here is more of a precaution than a "con" to biamping. It's just an easy mistake one could make if they didn't know better in setting up a biamp system. You have to ensure that the output levels are matched between the 2 amplifiers you use in biamping and that they remain even in regards to one another over the entire dB range of operation. In other words, if you use a much larger amp to run your mid woofers and a smaller amp to run your tweeters, there could be a level difference during playback where the mids could be way louder than the tweeters at higher volumes if the amps do not amplify their respective signals in the same linear fashion with high & low input signals alike. Therefore, it's preferable to use either identical amplifiers in biamping or amplifiers which will continue to linearly amplify (in relation to one another) the input signal so as to match each other in dB output at the speaker over the entire range low to high of input signal fed from the preamp / at different volume settings. IOW, you can use a smaller amp to run the high or mid frequency drivers and a larger amp to run the lower freq drivers, but you have to make sure they match each other in sound output at the speakers at both low & high volumes as the input signal increases/decreases accordingly. As long as you ensure matching output performance, biamping can yield great performance benefits, so go pick up a few extra power amps today!!!
-Brad

 

[j_garcia]

IMO, the benefit is, you are basically feeding a ton more power to the speaker vs a single channel.

There are also two methods of biamping - vertical and horizontal. Vertical would be using 2 channels of one amp for one speaker. Horizontal would be using each channel from 1 amp for the highs of each speaker and the second amp the same for the lows. Theoretically, horizontal gives you a more evenly distributed load for each amp as each channel sees similar loading due to power demands based on drivers. Vertical would be more or less like using one big monoblock for that speaker.

 

[Seth=L]

Then there are active crossover techniques that can be employed if you bi-amp.

 

[j_garcia]

Yes, but the average person isn't likely to go that far. With active, you will most likely need to employ an EQ as well, so you can dial in the type of response achieved by the passive network.

 

[highfihoney]

Ive bi-amped and ive tri-amped amped both with external & internal xovers in place,aside from the reasons posted above there are a few things you can do with bi & tri amping to change your sound,in my case i like to play around with klipsch corner horns because they are so easy to notice differences in sound from different gear.

I have bi & tri amped them using hard hitting solid state amps on bass & different tube amps on the mid's & high's,the main reason most audiophiles bi or tri amp is to adjust the sound from their systems, this kind of use of different amplifiers will alter the overall sound, being that most dont believe in tone controls or eq's this works for them.

 

[lmarc78]

I have two Integra ADS2.1 they are Identical purchased the same day even that I will be using.
I guess I will be running vertical, one amp per speaker. I listen to allot of music on top of movies so I would like it clean and loud. I supose the only real way to find out is to try it.

 

[dave1490]

IMO, the benefit is, you are basically feeding a ton more power to the speaker vs a single channel.

There are also two methods of biamping - vertical and horizontal. Vertical would be using 2 channels of one amp for one speaker. Horizontal would be using each channel from 1 amp for the highs of each speaker and the second amp the same for the lows. Theoretically, horizontal gives you a more evenly distributed load for each amp as each channel sees similar loading due to power demands based on drivers. Vertical would be more or less like using one big monoblock for that speaker.

i bi-amped because it was 300watts of free power.compaired to the 500 without brighing.i also got better separtion.

 

[Hi-Fi ve]

With active, you will most likely need to employ an EQ as well, so you can dial in the type of response achieved by the passive network.

It’s more of achieving what the listener prefers. Passive is set up by what the speaker designer intended (within the limits of drivers). Everyone has their own preference and active system with EQ makes it that much better for that purpose in addition to other benefits which have been written about in many places.

 

[Hi-Fi ve]

i bi-amped because it was 300watts of free power.compaired to the 500 without brighing.i also got better separtion.

How is rain crossover? I’ve never heard that brand before.

 

[Nick250]

Hi Imarc, what speakers are you thinking of bi-amping?

Nick

 

[dave1490]

How is rain crossover? I’ve never heard that brand before.

lol ya it,s rane.

 

[Resident Loser]

Why bi-amplify?

Does anyone know what the pro's and con's to Bi-Amplifying are?
I'm pretty much know what most pro's are but haven't heard anything bad about doing it let me know what you think.

Pros: Division of labor

Cons: A certain complexity if done correctly with active Xovers

jimHJJ(...simply the use of two amps is not true bi-amplification...)

 

[lmarc78]

Nick

I've got a new pair of Paradigm monitor 9's v.4

 

[Ampdog]

I cannot see much sense in what J_Garcia called horizontal bi-amping, which as far as I know is the more common, unless one goes to electronic cross-overs (preceeding the main amps). Otherwise each amp still handles the whole frequency response, but into an atrocious load. The h.f. speaker channel will present a high (probably reactive) load at low frequencies, and vice versa. Unless the amplifiers are below par, they should not have much trouble in handling the full audio range. If NFB is used (again as is common), that will be optomised to work for a stipulated load over the full frequency range.

The advantage as said is twice the power. But that is a gain in maximum output ideally of only 3dB. Worth the trouble?

 

[mtrycrafts]

..., unless one goes to electronic cross-overs (preceeding the main amps). ...?

And, bypassing the passive crossovers in the speaker.

 

[Ampdog]

Ah, yes. Thanks Mtrycrafts. Forgot that one. (I wonder how often that is NOT done....)