Bi-wired vs Single Termination


Recently upgraded speakers to B&W 804s and want to upgrade speaker cables. B&W has ability to be bi-wired or to use their supplied jumper at the speaker terminals. What is the adjantage of a bi-wired cable vs a single termination and use of B&W jumpers. I am looking at a used set of Volcanos with single banana plugs vs a set of Mont Blanc with bi-wiring. I understand volcano is a "better" cable but all things being equal which configuation is "better". Speakers are not being bi-amped and at this time I do not intend to bi-amp them.
smerlas

Showing 2 responses by dcstep

The signal sent from amp to speaker by bi-wire is full-range to both pairs of posts. What is split is the feedback from the speaker, particularly the woofer. The woofer's physical movement generates electrical energy that travels back toward the amp. With a single wire that energy goes into the crossover and you can have inter-driver inaction, potentially degrading midrange performance.

Good crossovers are designed to disapate this energy and don't need to be biwired. However, some speakers are designed to be biwired and will generally sound best that way.

I don't have any direct experience with your particular speakers. Maybe someone with that experience will comment.

Dave
03-23-08: Rodman99999 said:
"If you choose to go bi-wire: Use a cable that has two discrete pairs of conductors(full length) or two separate cables. You will gain nothing with regard to sound otherwise. Adding another pair of connectors to a single pair conductor cable is a waste of time. All you're doing is replacing the jumper with more wire that way."

I've wondered the same thing about this practice. Have you ever seen a study of this? Due to the low impedence at the amp, will the cables shunt the feedback back to the amp, away from the crossover, better than a jumper? (The jumper doesn't shunt anything and actually becomes part of the crossover).

I don't know, I'm just wondering and can't find anything reliable about the subject.

Dave