Bi amp pros out there I could use some help! First time Bi Amping...


Just picked up a BAT vk 200 for the bass and using my Pass Aleph 5 for the mids and tweets. Ive never played around with bi amping so I apologize in advance for any lame questions My speakers are Dunlavy SC3's original 5.5 nominal load. The pass is 90 wpc at 4 Ohm and the BAT is 200 wpc at 4 ohm so Im guessing around 75 wpc off the Pass Amp and 150 plus with the Bat Amp. My pre amp is a Aleph P and Im running the Single ended through a XLR adaptor (cause the Bat is Balanced inputs only) and the pass Aleph 5 off the XLR outputs of the pre and inputs of the Pass amp. The PASS Pre Amp manual says there is a 6db differential between the RCA and XLR outputs  two and both can be driven at the same time. So the RCA is 9db and the XLR is 15 db. Gain is within 2db on each amp. So whats the best way to do this? Get a custom XLR "Y" connector and drive both off the XLR output of the pre? Or is there a way better way to get the magic? This is past my "WORLD" Map and experience so Id thought Id ask for the smart people for advice. 

Thank you in advance!

-ALLGOOD
128x128haywood310
The thing is, to bi-amp using the internal speaker-level x/o is to not reap some of the major benefits of bi-amping:

I totally understand where your going, but it’s obvious or not in tune with what the OP is capable or wanting to do.
It’s his thread so lets keep it to his speed., he has a bruiser of an amp for the bass and a delicate amps for the mid and highs, and he simply needed to passively bi-amp them.

Cheers George
Ah, NOW I get it George. As usual I was thinking in perfectionist terms; gotta keep the op more in mind.
REALLY GUYS!!! Gonna "Nube me in third person" as my son calls it on Fortnight and Minecraft. LOL. Allgood and sorry to cause a ruckus. I really do appreciate all the feedback. Ive wasted money and hope to more well informed decisions in the future. Hence going to the Old pros...

*Allgood
My perception over the years is that many members here have achieved good results with horizontal passive biamp configurations. I recognize that in general a vertical passive biamp configuration, using identical amps, is likely to be preferable from a sonic standpoint. And that inserting an active crossover ahead of the amps can **potentially** provide added benefits, while at the same time creating opportunity for error that would compromise the results. And that removing the internal crossover of the speakers (if practical) can **potentially** provide further added benefits, while also creating greatly increased opportunity for error that would lead to poor results. And that in many and probably most cases a well-chosen single-amp approach can provide better results than all of the above, while at the same time minimizing opportunity for error.

In this case the OP **already has the amps,** and as I explained earlier the configuration he described in his original post would avoid the various technical pitfalls that can arise when passively biamping with different amps. Others have recommended a KISS approach. It seems to me that under the circumstances biamping as the OP described in his original post would in fact be a KISS approach, as George also indicated. Which as I say corresponds to an approach that has been successfully used by more than a few members here.

Regards,

-- Al

I have been an advocate of passive vertical biamping forever, because, speakers such as the Dunlavy line, easily show sonic differences between amplifiers, and to maintain coherence, it is the only way to go. Not to mention, the amplifiers maintain much better control in this configuration. I urge the OP, to seek out another exact Pass amp, and vertically biamp the Dunlavys, because it has been my experience, he has not heard what the Dunlavys are capable of. Understanding how difficult it would be to attain another Pass amp, it would be worth seeking out anyway, or, finding another pair of high quality stereo amps and vertically biamp. Of course, this could lead to another thread, as to finding a pair of amplifiers to replace the sonics of his Pass, but passive vertical biamping has been most impressive for me over the years. Just my final thoughts on the matter, understanding this thread has come to an end. Enjoy ! MrD.