Bi-Wiring?

[tbarbeau1]

I'm fairly new to the "higher"-end home theater ring, but I have a little experience with less worthy products.

My question is about bi-wiring. What is it? How do I do it? And what extra pieces of equipment are needed to bi-wire my front speakers?

I've heard this technique really boosts the quality of your front speakers if done properly. I'd love to have someone outline this process. Thanks for your time.

TWB

 

[cam]

I'm fairly new to the "higher"-end home theater ring, but I have a little experience with less worthy products.

My question is about bi-wiring. What is it? How do I do it? And what extra pieces of equipment are needed to bi-wire my front speakers?

I've heard this technique really boosts the quality of your front speakers if done properly. I'd love to have someone outline this process. Thanks for your time.

TWB

Bi-amping will make a big difference but you mentioned bi-wiring. You need two equal runs of speaker wire, join the two positives together with a bannana plug and the same with the negative. If you are using 12 guage it can be a little tricky stuffing two into one bannana plug. Now one run of the speaker wire will go to one set of terminals on your speakers and the other to the other speaker terminal. Keep all positives and negatives consisted, and DO NOT FORGET to take the jumper bars off. Some people think they hear an improved difference in sound and some think that it does nothing. The reason I did it was that I felt better about my system even if it only marginally makes a difference. And besides my mains are fairly close to my receiver so I only needed a small amount of wire and four more bannana plugs, and as long as you ar not getting ripped off on exotic cables, you will do just fine with generic (less then $1 per foot) wire. My surrounds are not bi-wireable but if they were, that would not be worth the 60 feet of more wire to get a maybe improvement if at all. 12 guage for my long runs do just fine. Do not expect a night and day difference after bi-wiring because you will be dissappointed.

 

[gene]

Rather than going through the hassle of biwiring with two sets of 12AWG wire, instead go with one set on 10AWG wire as it will yield nearly similar resistance, inductance and less capacitance. It will also be easier for connecting. I would suggest using cables with compression style bananas that lock down into the terminals of the speakers and amp.

 

[spenny]

running two sets of cable from only one amp terminal seems to be a waste of time imo. you might as well stick with your contacts on the back of your speakers. you're making exactly the same circuit...

if you got two sets of speaker outputs on your amp then give it a go otherwise i wouldn't bother.
or you could get another amplifier and bi-amp your system instead.
that way you WILL hear a difference!

 

[gene]

running two sets of cable from only one amp terminal seems to be a waste of time imo. you might as well stick with your contacts on the back of your speakers. you're making exactly the same circuit...

You will get no argument from me there Any alleged benefit of reduction of back EMF from the drivers induced in the cables will still be presented to the single amplifier connection. I like to refer to "Bi wire" and "buy wire"

 

[mtrycrafts]

I like to refer to "Bi wire" and "buy wire"

YES, YES. The benefit goes the the seller of the cables, $$$

 

[tbarbeau1]

doubling up?

so in essence bi-wiring is just doubling up the speaker wire?

 

[gene]

so in essence bi-wiring is just doubling up the speaker wire?

Basically yes. In most cases you are better off just choosing a lower gauge single wire solution. For every doubling of a particular wire gauge, your effective gauge goes down by 3AWG.

Thus two pairs of 12AWG speaker wire effective gauge works out to about 9AWG. You are usually better off going with a single 10AWG pair of speaker cables as it is more convenient, nearly the same effective gauge of the biwire 12AWG pairs, and about half the capacitance of the biwire alternative.