Bi-wire shortcut...?

[kaos]

I recently upgraded my front stereo speakers to the Yamaha NS-777 models and they include bi-wiring capabilities on the backs. I hooked them up normally to the receiver but then bi-wired them by adding wire to the first set of +/- inputs on the backs of the speakers to the second set of +/- inputs. The extra wire used to bi-wire is very short in this case. Is this okay to do or should I have instead done the other method which is wiring two sets of wires together at the receiver and hooking them up to each input on the back of the speakers?

I also changed the receiver settings to LARGE for the front stereos and have noticed an improvement in the sound.

 

[j_garcia]

This is not bi-wiring, this is called a jumper and is required for you to hear the speaker play full range. If there was no jumper before, you were only getting the lows or highs, whichever was hooked up. I normally recommend hooking them up the way you did though, so there's nothing wrong with leaving them the way you already have them.

Running two sets of wires from your receiver from the same channel is essentially the same thing as running a larger wire.

 

[kaos]

No wonder what those gold plates were for. I had taken them off as well as the small set of jumper wire I had cut and had noticed only the highs were coming out. I immediately paniced and thought I had blown my speakers. So doing the jumper wire method is the same as just wiring 1 +/- input and using the gold plates as jumpers? Is that what they're there for?

 

[kaos]

Should I bi-wire the speakers in to the B outputs of my receiver and turn on both A and B speakers? Would you recommend that? If so, what kind of improvements can I expect?

 

[j_garcia]

Typically, the A and B channels are run off the same physical amp channel in the reciever, so this would again effectively be the same as just running a larger cable again. Bi-wiring doesn't really buy you a whole lot. Bi-AMPING is different, and would require an additional stereo amplifier so that you could use a separate channel for each set of inputs on each speaker. Using the A&B method is not the same thing, because they are both the same amp channel.

Unless your speakers were not getting enough current to drive them for the levels you are asking of them, even bi-amping may not yeild a considerable improvement in sound. While there may be an improvement in detail and clarity with the added current, it will not sound like a whole new speaker, it will just play more clearly at all volumes.

So doing the jumper wire method is the same as just wiring 1 +/- input and using the gold plates as jumpers? Is that what they're there for?

Yes, and yes, that's what the gold plates are for. They are connecting the high frequency drivers to the low frequency drivers and distributing the incoming power to both.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

Should I bi-wire the speakers in to the B outputs of my receiver and turn on both A and B speakers? Would you recommend that? If so, what kind of improvements can I expect?

No, put your gold jumpers back on and run your speaker wire to one set of speaker wire terminals. Keep in mind that those jumpers usually take two 8 ohm (sets of) drivers (when run separately) and reduce them down to 4 ohm (when jumped). You can check this by removing your jumpers, and using a $10 multimeter to test the top half and bottom half of your Yamaha speakers. You'll usually notice a huge difference in the clarity of your speakers when you remove the jumpers and hook the speaker wire up to the top half only.

The specs on your speakers are as follows.
SENSITIVITY: 89dB/2.83v/1m
IMPEDANCE: 6 ohms
Lets hope they don't drop to 3 ohms when jumped.

Here's a note from Yamaha on the NS-777's.
Bi-Wiring Capability
To further maintain signal purity, Yamaha provides bi-wiring capability for the NS-777 speakers. There are separate +/- terminals for the woofer(s) and other driver(s). The separation reduces modulation distortion and better sound quality.

You'll realize this when you run just the top half of the speakers.

 

[kaos]

Well, when I took off the jumpers I was only getting highs. The woofers were not getting signal. In this case, why would I even be using speakers that big? I certainly want to get the most out of them.

About the ohm issue. I will get the multimeter and run some tests. What problems can I encounter and what can I do to solve them? Thanks for all of you guys' help by the way. It's been great.

 

[Nick250]

The speaker is disgined to always have the jumpers in place unless you are bi wiring (placebo, does not really do anything IMO) or bi amping. Leave those jumpers on!

 

[j_garcia]

Well, when I took off the jumpers I was only getting highs. The woofers were not getting signal. In this case, why would I even be using speakers that big? I certainly want to get the most out of them.

If you disconnect the jumper and wire up the bottom terminals, you will get only the low frequency driver(s). The top posts, as you've found, are for the high frequency driver(s).

The nominal impedance given should be for the speaker with jumpers in place.

 

[kaos]

I've wired only the highs and left the jumpers on to connect to the lows as I had originally done in the first place. Everything still sounds great and I understand a little more. Thanks for all of your help!

 

[mtrycrafts]

I've wired only the highs and left the jumpers on to connect to the lows as I had originally done in the first place. Everything still sounds great and I understand a little more. Thanks for all of your help!

With that gold plate jumper in place, it doesn't matter which posts you wire, the top or the bottom.
Just enjoy your speakers with one set of wires and leave the jumpers in place. Everything else is just fantasy land.