Bi-amping EMP E5Ti's

[Haaspac]

I went to the local AV store http://audiovideolife.com/ and I talked to a guy there about a decent receiver to match the EMP impressions 5.1 system I just bought. He pushed the pioneer elite vsx-21txh receiver on me since it was in my price range of 500-800 bucks. Then he told me to take the rear left and right channels that I wasn't using and to wire those terminals to the other 2 unused plugs on the towers to get better sound out of my main L and R loudspeakers. Is that bi-amping or bi-wiring and what kind of gain would I expect from doing that? Or would buying a separate 2 channel amp from emotiva or the like be the way to go?

 

[XEagleDriver]

. . . He pushed the pioneer elite vsx-21txh receiver on me since it was in my price range of 500-800 bucks. Then he told me to take the rear left and right channels that I wasn't using and to wire those terminals to the other 2 unused plugs on the towers to get better sound out of my main L and R loudspeakers.

Haaspac,

For $500-800, there are many other excellent AVR options, recommend you independently research vice "being pushed". Check out units from Denon, Onkyo, Yamaha, or HK (just to name a few).

Is that bi-amping or bi-wiring and what kind of gain would I expect from doing that?

Bi-amping (sort of). "True" bi-amping involves using an active crossover and independent amplifiers, which do not share the same power supply (unlike what the Pio would do). I would not expect much, if any, noticeable improvement.

However, since it costs nearly nothing to try (a couple pieces of speaker wire and some time to properly set your AVR) give it a shot if you like.

If you do, be sure to follow the speaker and receiver manufacturer's WARNING about removing the "bridge piece" of metal on your speakers between the two sets of speaker wire terminals, or you will be very sad

Or would buying a separate 2 channel amp from emotiva or the like be the way to go?

Yes, but obviously costs a lot more, and unless you get an amp with close to double your receiver's actual power (discussion for a different day! ) you still may not notice much improvement.

Having your mains on a separate power supply (i.e. the Emotiva) reduces the burden on your AVR which, for most brands, improves the available power to the remaining 3.1 channels.

For more info on bi-amp and bi-wiring, here is a decent technical article
(courtesy of a fellow Audioholic "3db")

http://sound.westhost.com/bi-amp.htm

Cheers,
XEagleDriver

 

[gene]

IMPORTANT NOTICE

You CANNOT bi-amp any of the new EMP products. The exta terminals are there for bi-wiring. I requested EMP take them off and use only single terminals on all their products to avoid confusion. If you biamp these speakers, you run the risk of damaging your amplifiers and/or the new speakers.

 

[Haaspac]

The back of the speaker has dual binding post for buy-wiring, bi-amping and the bottom has four brass threaded inserts for floor spikes/feet.

Tom Andry has that in his article on the website, if it's true and bi-amping will damage the speakers, there needs to be a note on that article.

 

[gene]

thanks that article needs to be corrected.

 

[nrp]

IMPORTANT NOTICE

You CANNOT bi-amp any of the new EMP products. The exta terminals are there for bi-wiring. I requested EMP take them off and use only single terminals on all their products to avoid confusion. If you biamp these speakers, you run the risk of damaging your amplifiers and/or the new speakers.

There are little stickers on the bridge metal between the terminals warning not to bi-amp, so confusion has been averted.

 

[Adam]

There are little stickers on the bridge metal between the terminals warning not to bi-amp, so confusion has been averted.

I think that stickers on the plastic mold around the terminals (or better yet, wording in the mold itself) would be a nice addition. If someone removes the bridge metal (and perhaps sells them without being able to find the bridge metal), then there would be no immediate and obvious way for the owner to tell that bi-amping the speakers was not recommended.

 

[gene]

I think that stickers on the plastic mold around the terminals (or better yet, wording in the mold itself) would be a nice addition. If someone removes the bridge metal (and perhaps sells them without being able to find the bridge metal), then there would be no immediate and obvious way for the owner to tell that bi-amping the speakers was not recommended.

There is always the smoke test The user plugs it in and their amplifiers operate until the short cased by biamping lets the smoke out.

 

[Adam]

There is always the smoke test The user plugs it in and their amplifiers operate until the short cased by biamping lets the smoke out.

I should have added "non-destructive" to my sentence.