Bi-Amping/Wiring Revealed

[JMO_PWR]

I have tried both bi-wiring and bi-amping my Jamo E855's and to be honest the differance is extreemly minimal if existant. I have many friends that work in Professional Audio shops and they said the only reason Bi-Amping or Bi-Wiring would increase the sound quality, is if your speakers have a poorly made or a low quality crossover.

As all bi-wiring does is makes it so the speaker's crossover doesnt have to split the same signal into two/three differant ranges. Hence 2-Way / 3-Way. Or the possiblity of high resistance speaker cable (which is unlikly unless you purchased Generic Cable).

However the best methods of deciding wether or not you think it makes a differance is to try it yourself!!!!!

I have decided i will list the differant methods of Bi-Wiring/Bi-Amping.

NB: Bi-Amping doesn't have to have differant receivers it can be done my using Output A & B on your receiver.

You also must consider that if your amp doesnt control Tone on both A & B speaker outputs (Not many do) then you have to decide wether you want to contol tone of your mid ranges, or tweeter. I leave my amp on direct or stereo with 0 Bass and 0 Treble i never change them. I normally connect Low ranges on A so you can control Bass Output.

The Simple Method:

Bi-Wiring:
Run two sets of wires from Left Terminals, and connect one to the low range and one to the hi range (dont forget to take out the bridges!!!)

Bi-Amping:
Concept of High and Low range coming from differant Amplifiers.

The "AudioPhile" method of Bi-XXXXing:

I have tested this method and i could notice a SLIGHT differance it has came recommended to me by a fair few people. Also known as the Xover Method.

Connect The left (Speaker A output) Negative to the negative terminal on the Low Range Terminals and Connect the Positive to the positive terminal on the High Range Terminal. Now with speaker B or the second amp. Connect the Negative to the negative terminal on the High Range, and connect the postive to the postive terminal on the low range.

This is expected to have a "blending effect" to make the speakers differant ranges not seem so seperated. It may work better for you guys that it did for me!!!

It has now came to my attention that the idea of Bi-Amping can often be confused. So It is not Bi-Amping through differant outputs. I will class it as a differant method of bi-wiring.

 

[MACCA350]

I always thought that the A/B Speaker selection on receivers still use the same amp module to run both(this is why they state if you run both at once you should use speakers with higher Ohm ratings to keep the current draw at a reasonable level). So this would mean your 'Bi-amping' method using the A/B speakers is essentially the same as the Bi-wiring method. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Also, unless you open the back of you speakers up and take the Xover out and connect separate amps with active Xovers(this is my definition of true Bi-amping), you'll most likely be still running through the internal Xover in the speakers. The main benefit(if using separate amps to Bi-amp and without removing the Xover) is more available power for the Bi-amped speaker.

cheers

 

[JMO_PWR]

Bi-Amping does not give a power gain (to my knowlage). It may be on the same amplifier array but technically it is classed as bi-amping, as it is coming out of a differant module. Bi Wiring is when they are connected through the same terminals. Although i do beleive that you are correct they are still going through a crossover of course but the 'claimed' advantage is to enhance sound by letting the speaker crossover not do as much 'work'. I can't tell a differance i have a few friends that say they can. Most cant really tell or are sure it doesnt.

 

[Nick250]

Bi-Amping does not give a power gain (to my knowlage). It may be on the same amplifier array but technically it is classed as bi-amping, as it is coming out of a differant module. Bi Wiring is when they are connected through the same terminals. Although i do believe that you are correct they are still going through a crossover of course but the 'claimed' advantage is to enhance sound by letting the speaker crossover not do as much 'work'. I can't tell a difference i have a few friends that say they can. Most cant really tell or are sure it doesn't.

I would have agree with MACCA"s description of bi amping. IMO opinion bi amping using the "b" output is kind of pretend bi amping and I would not expect a difference in the sound. Admittedly I have not tried it and maybe I should if I can figure out some sort of blind test with a friend changing the cables.

Nick

 

[gene]

NB: Bi-Amping doesn't have to have differant receivers it can be done my using Output A & B on your receiver.

Oh my! All you did was Biwire NOT Biamp. Speaker A/B terminals are either wired in series or parallel to the same amp. If you wish to biamp, you must use 4 amps in the receiver, many of which today allow you to reassign to the front channels for biamping.

 

[zildjian]

I always thought that the A/B Speaker selection on receivers still use the same amp module to run both(this is why they state if you run both at once you should use speakers with higher Ohm ratings to keep the current draw at a reasonable level). So this would mean your 'Bi-amping' method using the A/B speakers is essentially the same as the Bi-wiring method. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

MACCA350, you are correct. Connecting a pair of speakers to the B posts is just like hooking another pair of speakers to the same speaker terminal while running A & B @ the same time, same amp channels.

 

[zildjian]

Bi-Amping does not give a power gain (to my knowlage). It may be on the same amplifier array but technically it is classed as bi-amping, as it is coming out of a differant module.

Sure bi-amping can provide more power to the speakers, as long as your actually using different amplifier modules which your not doing using A/B posts.

 

[JMO_PWR]

I will edit it and call it a differant method of Bi-Wiring then

 

[JMO_PWR]

Hold on a second, if it is not bi-amping. Then why can you select the rear surround to Bi-Amp in many amps. How does this differ from using Speaker A & B?! I dont beleive many manufactueres that have this feature would misinterpret its meaning.

Any thoughts?

 

[gene]

Hold on a second, if it is not bi-amping. Then why can you select the rear surround to Bi-Amp in many amps. How does this differ from using Speaker A & B?! I dont beleive many manufactueres that have this feature would misinterpret its meaning.

As I said in my last post, some receivers have amp assignability so you can reroute them to biamp. SPK A/B are the same connection point either in series or parallel to each other from the same channels.

 

[sivadselim]

Hold on a second, if it is not bi-amping. Then why can you select the rear surround to Bi-Amp in many amps. How does this differ from using Speaker A & B?! I dont beleive many manufactueres that have this feature would misinterpret its meaning.

Any thoughts?

Because the rear surround channels ARE separate amps.

As was already stated, the A+B channels on most receivers SHARE the same 2 amps (left and right); there is simply an an extra set of binding posts for each channel (left and right).

If you connected 2 speakers using the 2 FRONT channels as well as the 2 SURROUND BACK channels, you'd be using a total of 4 amps; 2 for the left speaker and 2 for the right. Using 2 amps for one speaker is BI-AMPING.

If you connected 2 speakers using the 2 FRONT channels' A+B binding posts, on almost all receivers, you'd only be using the 2 FRONT channel amps. This would be BI-WIRING.