Bridging or bi-amping?

[josko]

I'm powering the rears and center speaker of my 5.1 system with a 5 channel amp (Emotiva XPA-5). Until I upgrade to a 7.1 system, I'll dedicate 2 amp channels to each rear speaker (B&W 803d). The speaker has a biamping provision, and I wonder whether I'm better off bridging the two amps (for each front) or bi-amping the speaker? is there a tradeoff between sound clarity and power level? Thanks in advance.

 

[Irvrobinson]

I think either alternative is a waste of time with these speakers and that amp. I can't believe you'll hear any differences whatsoever. You don't need more power, and the B&W isn't an especially difficult or complex load that would make bi-amping something worth considering.

 

[j_garcia]

What Irv said.

 

[ahblaza]

I'm powering the rears and center speaker of my 5.1 system with a 5 channel amp (Emotiva XPA-5). Until I upgrade to a 7.1 system, I'll dedicate 2 amp channels to each rear speaker (B&W 803d). The speaker has a biamping provision, and I wonder whether I'm better off bridging the two amps (for each front) or bi-amping the speaker? is there a tradeoff between sound clarity and power level? Thanks in advance.

Use the five channels of the XPA-5 and be done with it. What sonic improvements are you expecting with Bi-amping, 200 watts ACD, come on my man. No trade off I can see or hear.

 

[PENG]

I'm powering the rears and center speaker of my 5.1 system with a 5 channel amp (Emotiva XPA-5). Until I upgrade to a 7.1 system, I'll dedicate 2 amp channels to each rear speaker (B&W 803d). The speaker has a biamping provision, and I wonder whether I'm better off bridging the two amps (for each front) or bi-amping the speaker? is there a tradeoff between sound clarity and power level? Thanks in advance.

I am not sure if I understand your questions. Are you really using a pair of 803D for the rear channels? Then you said 'bridging the two amps (for each front)'? What are those two amps, or do you mean two channels of the xpa5 for each front, if so then what about the rear 803D and what kind of speakers you have for the front? Please clarify, thanks.

 

[josko]

Sorry for my terseness. It seems I wrote 'front' in the original post when I meant 'rear'. My fronts are B&W 802d's, each powered by a Levinson 434. I really like this setup for stereo audio, and don't plan to change it. For a variety of reasons, I'm now merging that into a 5.1 system, with B&W 803d's for rears and a B&W HTM1d for center. I bought an Emotiva XPA-5 to power the rears and center, figuring it wasn't that much more than an XPA-3 and would let me expand to a 7.1 system if I could scrounge up two more 803d's eventually. Meanwhile, I wondered if it made any sense to use the two unused channels in the XPA-5 to bridge or biamp the 803d's. The answer came back that it made no sense, so I'll let the two channels go unused for now.
FWIW, the room is 28' x 18' with a complex ceiling 9'-14' high. The subwoofer is an SVS PB12 and I'm dreaming of picking up a second one if they go on sale this winter.

 

[j_garcia]

FWIW, you cannot bridge amp channels on an amp that was not intended to do so.

 

[josko]

My bad - it never occured to me the XPA 5 would not be bridgable, but on closer reading, the XPA-2 is, but the XPA 3 and 5 are not. I guess so much fhr that question, then.

 

[PENG]

My bad - it never occured to me the XPA 5 would not be bridgable, but on closer reading, the XPA-2 is, but the XPA 3 and 5 are not. I guess so much fhr that question, then.

Even if the XPA-5 is bridgeable, it won't be capable to be bridged to drive the 803D. The XPA-2 is bridgeble for sure but then it would be rated for 8 ohms when bridged. The 803D is rated nominally 8 ohms but it would probably dip below 8 ohms often enough and at some point down to as low as 3 ohms, so I wouldn't risk such expensive speakers with the XPA-2 either. On the other hand, serving just the rear channels, the power demand won't be as demanding, something like a 200 WPC Anthem, Bryston, or ATI amps should be good enough >90% of the time.

 

[josko]

Thanks guys, but at this point another amp for the 803's is not in the cards. I'll have to stick to a single channel of the XPA-5 for each rear and chalk it up to a lesson to read the fine print before buying cheap amplifiers.
PENG, do you think there's a reason a single channel of the XPA-5 would not be suitable to drive the 803d's and the HTM1d?

 

[PENG]

Thanks guys, but at this point another amp for the 803's is not in the cards. I'll have to stick to a single channel of the XPA-5 for each rear and chalk it up to a lesson to read the fine print before buying cheap amplifiers.
PENG, do you think there's a reason a single channel of the XPA-5 would not be suitable to drive the 803d's and the HTM1d?

I think if you watch the regular movies and listen to the typical/popular multichannel BD concerts and SACDs the XPA-5 can drive the 803D because the rear channels are not as demanding most of the time except for certain media source material. I would have thought most people use the 803D for their front mains but obviously you can afford to put them at the back so that's good for you. Just make sure you don't push the XPA-5 too hard because if it start clipping it may blow an expensive diamond tweeter.