2. amps-preamps
  3. 162171-110508

Do I need bi amping?

Hello guys

I have a pair of power amps, one Line Magnetic LM-508 (300B-805 tube my favorite) and one Hypex NC500 class D.

I'm using today the tube amp, wich has more than enough power to drive my speakers at every volume level possible and the class D amp is in a closet.

As I have both amps and my speakers accept bi amping, I was wondering to try it out, using the tube amp for highs-mids and the class D amp for lows. 

Would you recomend bi amping? Have you tried it? 

I listen to all of my music streaming Tidal and my 2.2 system today sounds superb for me (I've heard some much more expensive ones sounding much worse). I also have pretty good hi end gear for the money and paid attention to every detail I could: AC dedicated line, AC filtering, cables, audiophile switch, digital signal processing, antivibration tweaks, speakers and subwoofers positioning, upgraded caps and resistors on my tube amp, better tubes, etc etc. I'm not looking for extra power, just better sound.

By the way, my Audio-gd Master 1 has RCA and XLR outputs to drive boths amps, but thr only caveat is that I need to match the gain of the outputs as they are different. 

If I do it right, would I get better sound?
plga
Ag insider logo xs@2x
oldhvymec
5,101 posts
 
What kind of speakers again? They sound good to you now?

Sure easy to do, if you want to try.. Couple cables.

It amazes folks when they cut a valve amp at 60-80 hz AT LEAST, but when the passive is cut at 280-300 hz, a lot of valve amps GROW a whole new personality so to speak... A LOT of head room, they run cooler, they sound better. What else do you want?

May want to check the impedance, it may change when you split the crossover.. The class d, is not going to care. The valve amp might. Just check..

Regards

Regards
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 

plgaDo I need bi amping?

Hello guys

I have a pair of power amps, one Line Magnetic LM-508 (300B-805 tube my favorite) and one Hypex NC500 class D.
If you have a "stereo" Hypex , then yes horizontal bi-amping would be great, use a $49 Schiit sys on the louder of the two amps to bring  down the level, as they won't have the same gain.
https://ibb.co/3SHB973

Cheers George

plga OP
184 posts
 
Thanks for answering.

My speakers are the Q Acustics Concept 500 and eventhough they are not super efficient (90 dB), the 2x48 wpc of the LM-508 drive them very well. It has dinamics, tone, layering, bass, sweetness, everything. But as always, I guess we wouldnt be audiophiles if we weren't always looking for better sound.

By the way. I already have a pair of active subs with their own 500w class D amp.

I think you @oldhvymec nailed it. I would like to see how the LM-508 could sound if I relieve it from handling the lower notes, like 200/300 hz and below. 

I guess I could also use a crossover to split the signal between the speakers and the subs (not biamping), but I guess the subs can only sound good up to 80/100 hz top, if not less.

So, to really relief the valve amp and release it's full potential, I guess I have to go biamping.

The big question is if it's worthwile the effort and time. So maybe hearing some other similar experiences could encourage me  :-)
plga OP
184 posts
 
Thank you George
That's a very good option to try. Thank you.

Have you tried some similar configuration or do you know someone who did it? Is it really a good upgrade un sound?



erik_squires
15,657 posts
 
If you aren't tinkering and experiencing for yourself, you are not an audiophile say I!

So, you should do it for fun.

Based on the impedance chart:

https://www.stereophile.com/content/q-acoustics-concept-500-loudspeaker-measurements

I'd say it would be interesting to compare the mid-bass performance of both amps.  Why don't you try it out and tell us?
More to discover