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Is Bi - amping worth the trouble?

Hello all...

I'm on the fence with the thought of bi amping. A big part of me wants to go ahead with it... the 'wallet' part says "Not so fast".

There should be lots of folks who've biamped speakers before... When it was all said and done, "Was it worth the time and expense?"

I'm inclinded to add a tube amp for the upper end of my VR4 JR's ... or any other speakers for that matter... though in any case and reardless the speakers, tube amp on top, and SS on the bottom.

...and then there's the thought of keeping two dissimilarly powered amps matched at the same volume level... and the added IC's, PC, and stand... it does seem to add up.

... and at this point, I'm thinking BAT to keep things all the same... and am not sure there, wether even that matters too much...

I sure do appreciate the input.
blindjim
jtinn
1,124 posts
 
If you are going to bi-amp the VR4JR's, you will need the same amps on the top as you have on the bottom.
saygrr
72 posts
 
It has been a long time since I have bi amped but I have found that I like keeping it simple with the highest quality components I can afford. Currently I am using a pair of McCormack DNA-1 monoblocks with all of SMCs mods and enjoy them more than anything else I have had on the Essence 10A speakers. Hope this helps. From my expierence more is not always better. Will follow this thread to see what you decide.
bignerd100
515 posts
 
With those speakers, as with most speakers in general, you will see a greater return for your money by going tube preamp instead of biamping with tube/ss. Everyone will eventually try to biamp and many will go back to single amp of high quality. The JR's would sound just fine with a good biamp configuration but the money spent on that upgrade would be better spent going to the SR version. Night and day difference between the two.

Good luck!
ngjockey
1,042 posts
 
Not with your system.

If you had an amp that wasn't up to the speakers, that would be a different story. Biamping is rarely as easy as plugging in another amp and wires. Unless you have another amp hidden in the closet or a friend willing to loan for a trial, there are too many variables.
chadnliz
3,736 posts
 
You do not need the same amp for top and bottom, you can have SS for the woofer and tube for the top or 2 ss amps that dont match, as long as atleast one has gain control that will allow you to match output to your taste, I am Bi-Amping my VMPS (wich is designed to be Bi-Amped, I also Bi-Amped my Innersound Eros (both use an outboard cross-over.
Although there is alot to be said about keeping it simple Bi-Amping allows you to get the sound you want in the Mid and treble regions that one amp may not provide, ofcourse one great killer amp will provide great results.
I use a high power Carver for the woofer and an Aragon for the mids and tweeters. I also like the gain on the bass amp because it gives you some bass adjustment for various recordings and moods.
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