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Re: How does Bi-Amping really work?

Posted by Wino on November 1, 2002 at 21:26:46

In Reply to: How does Bi-Amping really work? posted by walter on November 1, 2002 at 19:19:19:

You should get lots of action w/this one; at the moment, I'm first. I'll try to make fact and taste both identifiable...
Are you looking for better music, or just want to have fun fooling around w/this stuff and see what happens? Either is okay...
There are two basic ways to bi-amp, the way you are speaking of ("horizontal"?) and "vertical bi-amping". This all works best w/speakers that are internally wired for bi-wiring/bi-amping. W/the latter, you simply put identical stereo amps behind each speaker, and split the preamp feed so that the left channel feed goes to both "sides" of the amp on the left, and run one speaker cable from "side A" of the left amp to the midrange and tweeter, and a separate cable from "side B" to the left woofer. Repeat on the right-hand speaker.
Depending on a lot of things, bi-wiring may give you a large proportion of this benefit for a lot less money. It's also possible, especially w/tube amps, that simply using a tube amp that's twice as powerful and bi-wiring will control the bass better and give you better sound than the "vertical bi-amp" solution.
All of this uses bi-wire adaptable speakers, in which the drivers are pretty well integrated (we hope) and there's a well-designed crossover in the speaker (not often enough true). Driver integration and crossover design are where most fall down, commercially or at home.

I've not heard every possible speaker and amp combination, but the ones which I have heard, if bi-amping w/two different amps, ALWAYS sounds like two different amps. If your speakers are revealing (the only kind I want), they'll reveal your system, for better or worse.
If you look seriously at the math and theories involved in speaker design, and check how many people are working on design at the various speaker manufacturers (and how seldom they introduce a new one, and how poor some of them sound), you know why I just do a lot of listening and go buy good-sounding speakers. I can earn more than enough with the time saved to buy the ones I want.
You might consider using your existing stuff for small group acoustic and vocal music and getting other stuff for head-banging rock.
And BTW, there are tube amps out there being made today that are very musical, have great high-frequency detail, and kick-ass bass -- all the stuff we tube-lovers (really, it's "music lovers") find lacking in so much stuff still being made today.

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