08-02-2002, 12:33 PM
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Polk Master
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Bi Wire/Amp
I found a pdf file on a speaker manufactured by Legacy that I thought would be interesting to read. I DID NOT WRITE THE DOCUMENT! Just want to share as information and pulled out a section regarding this topic.
 Biamplification CONVENTIONAL WIRING This format is the simplest way to connect your loudspeakers to your amplifier. A single twin-conductor cable is used to link the loudspeaker to a single channel of amplification. Jumper wires must be left in place on the loudspeaker. BIWIRING Biwiring allows one to minimize the cable losses between the amplifier and the loudspeaker. This is accomplished with a single stereo amplifier by running separate sets of cables to the satellite section and the subwoofer section from the same channel of amplification. This technique allows one to “play” with wire parameters a bit (such as heavy gauge wire on the sub sections and light gauge solid core on the satellites). When biwiring, the use of gold spade lugs or dual banana plugs can make the task much easier and safer than bare wire connections. Again, the major reasons for biwiring over conventional wiring are greater power transfer (improved efficiency) and tighter control over the drivers (better damping). PASSIVE BIAMPING This option can yield even better results than biwiring due to broader distribution of power requirements. Passive biamplification allows low frequency current demands to be routed to a separate channel of amplification, thus reducing strain on the satellite amplifier and preventing subwoofer back-EMF from modulating with the upper frequencies. There are two types of passive biamplification;Vertical biamping (which requires two identical stereo amplifiers or four monoblocs) and Horizontal biamping (which does not require identical amplifiers). 1. Vertical Biamping Vertical biamplification requires the dedication of a single stereo amplifier for the left speaker, and another stereo amplifier for the right speaker. This configuration improves channel separation and can improve imaging slightly. If your preamp does not have two sets of left/right outputs, you will need a pair of Y-adapters or a signal splitter, such as a dual amp balancer, which will also allow adjustment of subwoofer/satellite input levels. 2. Horizontal Biamping Any two stereo amplifiers may be utilized in horizontal biamplification. Many audiophiles prefer the "sweetness" of tubes on the satellite portion of the loudspeaker while favoring the "control and weight" of solid state amplifiers on the subwoofer section. The biggest drawback of such a marriage of amplification is that the two amplifiers may have different input sensitivities or output polarities. Differences in the input sensitivities may be overcome by using a dual amp balancer. This unit allows independent balancing of the left subwoofer/satellite ratio and right subwoofer/satellite ratio. It's also a good idea to check the owner's manuals to establish if the amplifiers are inverting or non-inverting. If the two amplifiers are of opposite polarity, then you should reverse the polarity at the inputs of either the subwoofer or satellite binding posts. NOTE: The above only applies to loudspeakers that incorporate the subwoofer and satellite section in a single enclosure. It does not apply towards the separate powered subwoofer/satellite configuration. You must always observe the polarity when connecting the speaker wire to a powered subwoofer. ACTIVE BIAMPING This option requires the utilization of an electronic (powered) external crossover. Active biamplification is the most appealing means of interfacing a subwoofer/satellite system due to the control possibilities offered, but can also be the most costly. An active crossover is inserted between the preamplifier outputs and the inputs of two stereo amplifiers. Vertical or horizontal biamping considerations are also applicable here. A well designed active crossover will offer the user independent high pass / low pass turnover frequencies for optimally blending the satellites with the subwoofer sections of the speaker system. Other features usually found are separate level controls for the high pass or low pass sections and a choice of inverted or non-inverted low frequency outputs (needed when strapping an amplifier to mono). Also helpful is bass equalization and subsonic filtering. When cascading active filters with the existing passive filters within the speaker system, be sure to allow for adequate frequency overlap. For instance, if the passive crossover is set at 500 Hz, select a low pass corner frequency of 600 Hz and a high pass corner frequency of 450 Hz to prevent a suck-out in the response at 500 Hz. The controlled distribution of power afforded by the active crossover results in less amplifier strain (better clarity), greater dynamics, and lower intermodulation distortion. However, a basic understanding of crossover slopes and crossover frequencies within your loudspeaker will be needed to implement the active crossover successfully. 15 |
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08-02-2002, 09:39 PM
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Polk Guru
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Thats a cool write.........
Maybe some people can get some good use out of it. Thanks HbombToo, I enjoyed the read.... Dan
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Dan My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. |
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08-04-2002, 09:48 PM
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Polkie
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Hi, my name is Liquid and I'm a n00b
Can someone tell me where I fit in in regards to these definitions.
And also am I wasting my time doing this or even worse, hurting my speakers. I have a Yamaha HTR-5440 HTR reciever The specs can be seen here: http://www.yamaha.com/cgi-win/webcgi...RSY00010YHT-18 Yes, it was a home theater in a box. But we all gotta start somewhere. Just recently I finally finished upgrading all my speakers. I have 2 wall mounted RT15i's for surrounds, a CSi30 for a center channel and 2 RT800i's for front mains. I also have a Velodyne CHT-80 for a sub. All my speaker wire is 16 gauge. And DVD/CD player is hooked to the reciever via a 3 foot fiber optic cable. So where this post comes relevant is my reciever has an "A" and a "B" output for front mains. Both sets can be run at the same time (I realize I'm probably loosing some max power here but I don't play them THAT loud anyways). I undid the jumpers on my RT800i's and put my "A" set to the top input on the speakers and my "B" set to the bottom inputs. Am I getting any benefit for doing this (I does seem to sound better but my ear isn't the best and I could be tricking myself)? Or am I potentially causing harm by this? My niave calculations told me my reciever should have enough juice to not harm my speakers (unless I really crank them) even if my juice to the front is halved. Sorry, for being so lengthy. |
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08-04-2002, 09:57 PM
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Polkhead
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Re: Hi, my name is Liquid and I'm a n00b
Quote:
Aaron |
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08-05-2002, 12:16 PM
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Polkologist
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It's only ghetto if it's hot. I would consider that to be bi-wiring. It's coming from the same amp(s). Then again I'm just starting to get into this whole bi-amping/'wiring thing.
Liquidrage: It sounds to me like you're doing it right. I wouldn't worry about damage at reasonable levels and if you like the sound, then by all means. |
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08-05-2002, 01:35 PM
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Polk Master
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I can't see the value in this configuration. but that the hell do I know anyway???? If your sharing the same amp across A and B are you not just raising the impedance of the overall circuit which then equates to a loss in power.
I'll bet a Beer that the improvement was due to 2 pair of wire instead of a single................ or Bi-Wire
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08-05-2002, 01:43 PM
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#10 |
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Hardcore
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Man.
My advice from here on out, is just get as many wires to as many posts as possible in any configuration .....guaranteed improvement, esp on a receiver.....
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08-05-2002, 07:29 PM
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#13 |
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Polkie
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The logic behind it was the mechanism inside the reciever for replicating signals was superior to the the jumper used on the RT800i to pass the signal.
I wouldn't bet a beer on it because it makes sense. I was worried about the loss of power but since it shouldn't hurt it and I think it sounds better I'll leave it. Thanks to those that answered. |
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08-06-2002, 12:39 PM
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#16 |
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Polk Guru
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2 days until vacation.......
man, I can't WAIT! BDT
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