Benefits of Bi-Amping when you’ve you’ve already ticked the box of “adequate current”

[Gazjam]

Asking for a friend, obviously. :)

[Light Dependant Resistor]

Hi Gary
Unsure If you mean bi-wiring or bi-amping, as each have advantage allowing the flow of current in a more orderly and correct fashion. Whilst you may have adequate current it may or may not
be being directed as good as it can. Finesse is a singular word that describes what is needed ... An analogy, some residents of quiet streets might object to a highway ( adequate current ) replacing their avenue of trees and relative peace. So a branch that still allows connection of the city to their street, & that allows the vista of their street, is by far more preferable than the busy highway just connecting to them.

Bi amping needs active crossovers and fine tailoring to each frequency for each loudspeaker, it can take much time to address both the level and frequency of each. https://www.xkitz.com/

[Macca]

You don't need active crossovers to bi-amp.

If the existing amp is already capable pf driving the speakers to their maximum ability then there will be no benefit that I can think of.

[walpurgis]

I have yet to hear an active system I really came to terms with.

[Stryder5]

Looks really cool!

Gary

[Filterlab]

If the existing amp is already capable pf driving the speakers to their maximum ability then there will be no benefit that I can think of.

I agree with Macca here. Many moons ago I had a pair of Martin Logan electrostats with the separate 8" bass drivers in the base of the cabinets (Aeon-i's I think they were), and they were bi-amped with a pair of original Audiolab 8000Ps. I set them up initially as bi-amped as I had the pair of amps already in place. They sounded great.

Then a small change to the system meant that I needed a power amp elsewhere, so I snaffled one of the 8000Ps and set the MLs up as single amped. Well, they just came alive! Much more presence and cohesion to the sound. Perhaps it was just a case that the electrostats needed a single amp to gain proper integration between the panels and drivers, but the single amped set up was leagues better.

Since then I've never bothered with bi-amping again. I even gave up on bi-wiring as I never heard improvement.

By all means try it, but don't expect it to set the world on fire. Also (as stated by Macca), you won't need any active crossovers for bi-amping if your speakers have bi-wiring terminals.

[Bencat]

I would advise that if the speakers were designed and intended to be Bi Wired / Bi Amped from the start then you have a good chance that they will sound very good that way . Only example i can give of this is Linn Sara 9's are fully designed to be bi wired and sound excellent used that way . Add another Amplifier and they get just that bit better with real pace and extended sound stage. Bass becomes faster and more textured. On the other hand there are in my view a large number of speakers that have bi wire sockets just because the market demands it and they are not bale to sell otherwise. Harbeth are a good example of this the designer does not like or believe in bi wire but for the export markets he sells to he has to include them . Unsurprisingly they sound no better in fact in my view a little worse when additional cables are added and much better with single wire and jump leads .

Adding another amplifier and making the speakers active in my view is the way to go and has improved on two very different speakers I have worked on . Earlier in this thread another member does not get active speakers so you can see this is often a personal thing . I find the speed and sheer transparency of active speakers addictive and were i starting again now it would be a nice pair of large active speakers on the end of my system .

[Vince]

If you are thinking of bi-wiring, ie. 2 sets of speaker outputs from 1 amp....don't.
You will need 2 sets of speaker cable/plugs.
Stay single wired and buy a better quality cable and make up some jumper cables from the same cable. This will give a better sound than 2 cheaper runs of speaker cable.
Tidier too, if that matters.

[Barry]

https://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?5818-Basics-amp-General-Bi-amping-and-Bi-wiring

[Jimbo]

https://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?5818-Basics-amp-General-Bi-amping-and-Bi-wiring

Very good atricle there Barry, didnt know it was buried somewhere on the site. Thanks for digging that out

[Barry]

Thanks Jim,

There are several articles of interest available to Members in 'The Knowledge'; both theoretical as well as information on manufacturers and their products.

[Edward]

I've played around with active tri-amping (using Roon as the active crossover). The results are astonishing. Looking forward to resuming the experiments once we move (next month).