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To biwire or not to biwire, that is the question??

Thanks for taking the time to read. I have sifted through the mound of information regarding biwiring but have yet to come to a clear yes or no on the matter.

My question is as follows: Using a single 2CH amplifier run to speakers that are set-up to biwire utilizing a biwire cable (2 connections amp end/ 4 connections speaker end)should return no greater result than running a single wire to that same speaker and utilizing jumpers??? My reading suggests that unless you are bi-amping, simply taking the source of the signal at the amp, (2 connections) and splitting that into (4 connections at the speaker) is not positively affecting the sound?? Bi-amping on the other hand may return an improved sound as the signals are isolated and could affect the resistance of the load?

So I guess what my reading has indicated is that if you are only running a single amp (2 connections) to a bi-wire ready speaker (4 coonnections) you are really paying for a cable that has additional ends but should return no great end product as the signals are technically not distinct as in the case of using 2 ampsor an amp set up for bi-amping?

Any thoughts are welcome as this seems to be an endless debate???
nissancrazy
russ_l
95 posts
 
Beerdraft- The reason why biwiring works is explained above by myself (only with two separate cables). The reason why biwiring does not work is explained above by Rodman99999 (system not resolving enough to begin with).

Richard Vandersteen has sold more speakers, by a country mile, than any other manufacturer other than Arman Bose. There is no fluff in any of Richard's speakers. They're meant to be bi-wired; that's why the two pair of terminals are there. Again, IMHO.
beerdraft
198 posts
 
Very good info, I don't own Vany's and not familiar with them. My speakers have 4 post but bi wire isn't reccomended, bi amping on the other hand is, other wise just use jumpers or upgrade jumpers. I did bi wire with seperate cables once, in my setup I noticed no diference. Very good info above though and I respect it but It didn't work in my set up at all.

beerdraft
nickword
49 posts
 
I had my Pathos Classic One II bi-wired to Paradigm signatures with high end audioquest cable, big bucks for 2 - 8' runs. I decided to move the system and wanted to have the speakers further apart so I changed to less expensive but heavier gauge audioquest, single run with the factory jumpers. It sounds significantly better. I thought maybe it was placement so I move the system back to make a fair comparison and it was the cables.

I went from single runs to bi-wire on Vandersteen Signature 3As and the difference was huge. Bi-amped them and they took on another level of separation I'd never heard from them before.

Celestions didn't like bi-wire, Revels did, Dynaudios didn't.

There is no simple answer.
nissancrazy OP
30 posts
 
Thanks for all the great feedback here. It seems that the ultimate end is going to be the product of the electronics and speakers one utilizes more so than a universal standard that can equally be applied across the board.

Trial and error seem to be the best route here.
gibson58
32 posts
 
agree with trial and error. i added some jm reynaud cantabile speakers to my system and found some big differences in sound with how i wired them. this was the first bi-wire speakers i've had, and had no idea on the best way to set these up. first round was using a single wire cable from the amp to the high frequency connections on the speaker with the factory jumpers to the low frequency terminals. the sound was extremely bright and fatiquing. after 2 days, i switched the single wire cable to the low freq terminals with the jumpers in place for the high freq terminals. this was much better- more bass, very enjoyable sound. due to the differences i discovered, i decided to bi-wire them and found even more improvement. more clear, with a more balanced sound.
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