Do you Bi-Wire, if you can?

Any of you who are bi-wiring ever try also connecting jumpers (while bi-wired to both terminals), just to experience the effect? If so, what did you think, better, worse, different-how?

My suggestion to try connecting bi-wired speakers with jumpers at the speaker terminals was intended as a way for folks with bi-wire cables and dual speaker terminals to easily hear the effect of single-wiring their speakers. Some might say running the bi-wire cables to the two terminals and then connecting (the two positive terminals and the two negative terminals) at the binding posts with jumpers would be better than single wiring the speakers, since the magnetic field from the woofer signal would be separated from the MF/HF cable right up to the binding posts. Advocates of bi-wiring usually say separating the woofer's magnetic field from the higher frequencies is the primary advantage of bi-wiring while opponents sometimes quote a lack of coherence and phase issues. I wonder if the jumpers might improve on the coherence/phase issues?

It sure would be easier if there were "standards" in the audio world, like providing only a single pair of binding posts on speakers. Like most things in this hobby, it can be difficult separating product features designed for better sound from those designed for better sales, with the only true test being how it sounds.

I suspect more than a few speaker manufacturers jumped on the bi-wire bandwagon simply so they would not be left behind and their products thought to be inferrior. If they were really interested in better sound, they would include higher quality jumpers than those crappy metal jumpers that come with even relatively high-priced speakers.

I have achieved the best results in my system by keeping cable runs short and heavy on the copper. Although I am currently bi-wiring my speakers, my speaker cables are only 1M long and consist of a double run of 10 awg vintage WE wire, resulting the best sound I have heard with my current speakers.

It sure would be easier if there were "standards" in the audio world, like providing only a single pair of binding posts on speakers. Like most things in this hobby, it can be difficult separating product features designed for better sound from those designed for better sales, with the only true test being how it sounds to the end user.

I suspect more than a few speaker manufacturers jumped on the bi-wire bandwagon simply so they would not be left behind and their products thought to be inferior. If they were really interested in better sound, they would include higher quality jumpers than those crappy metal jumpers that come with even relatively high-priced speakers.

I have achieved the best results in my system by keeping cable runs short and heavy on the copper. Although I am currently bi-wiring my speakers, my speaker cables are only 1M long and consist of a double run of 10 awg vintage WE wire, resulting the best sound I have heard with my current speakers.

There can be no standard when such is the nature of the problem.

Perhaps not, and of course there isn't a standard, but the amplifier output originates from a single positive pole and a single negative pole. Therefore, assuming only a small L/C/R effect from the speaker cables, is not the relative current draw at each crossover board determined by the drivers and crossover components and not whether it arrives at the speaker by means of a single pair of positive/negative wires or two pairs of wires in a bi-wire configuration?

Good point...many report positive results of bi-amping, but it would be hard to bi-amp with a single set of binding posts.

Speaking of bi-amping, with the improvement of Class D amplifiers, I suspect the industry future may hold more internally powered speakers, with amplification dedicated to each section of drivers, similar to the idea behind the Linkwitz Orion, but more evolved like the new Kii Audio Three speaker, that even includes an internal DAC...I would like to hear a pair...Kii Audio Three

Thanks for the information Bombaywalla. So, basically, a standard is not feasible because while having a single set of binding posts works for both parallel and series crossover topologies, dual or tri binding posts only work with parallel, but not series, crossover topologies. However, a single set of binding posts does not work for the speaker builder who wants to offer their customers the option of bi-amping for best sound.

I think the reason bi-wiring from a single amplifier causes so much discussion is that it is sort of a poor man's bi-amping and in many cases does not result in significant sonic differences/improvements over single wiring with jumpers.

That was sarcasm. Bi-amping offers significantly greater potential benefits.