To Bi-Wire or not to Bi-wire?

 

Unregistered guest
I see that more and more speakers are able to be bi-wired.

My question is what advantage does that give you?

My current receiver(Yamaha RXV450) have connectors for A&B front speakers. Does that mean that I could connect a bi-wire capable speaker to connectors A&B? What will the benefit be?
 

Gold Member
Username: Project6

Post Number: 2654
Registered: Dec-03
Bi-wiring does not let you connect to the A&B speaker output.

It allows the end user to wire the two sets of connectors separately from one output only. It means you remove the jumper cables and you split the speaker wires and attach them separately or you could use 2 separate wires entirely. But you still use the same one output source.

You could also bi-amp. Which means you remove the jumper cables and hook up a different amplifier for the lower frequency drives and another amp for the high frequency drivers.

This method has benefits, but bi-wiring is a totally different matter, it borders on religion and politics. Some believe it has benefits while others don't, then there are those who try to convince the other about their belief and it definitely sparks heated debate. Just look at the speaker wire debate recently...geeesh!

But you should definitely start your own research and build your own belief.

But the most important thing is that you try and find some enjoyment with what you do!

cheers
 

Unregistered guest
Thanks. What I have read so far basically confirms what you say.

Cheers
 

J. Vigne
Unregistered guest

I disagree somewhat with Berny's opinion of biwiring as near religious or political belief. First, whether you wire from one speaker post or from A-B connections is of little consequence since on all contemporary amplifiers manufactured today, A-B connections are in parallel inside the amplifier. You would have to be using a Sony receiver made before 1980 to find a series connection on the A-B speakers. Even if this were the case, the amplifier would see the same basic wiring as from one post, the only significant difference being the series connection is somewhat more stable in a solid state amplifier. Therefore, connecting all the wires to speaker A or connecting each set of wires to A&B is the same connection as far as the amplifier is concerned.

This link includes a discussion of biwirng and the technical explanation for its advantages in most applications. Scroll down to January 26, 11:05 AM.

https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/forum/home-audio/119411.html



 

J. Vigne
Unregistered guest


As Berny suggests, you should try out theories and make your own decision as to their validity. I would caution, as with the biwiring situation; just becuase a theory does not fit your situation, you should not dismiss the theory out of hand as incorrect. It just may not work for you at this time. Edison had thousands of failures and, despairing, nearly gave up before he produced a working light bulb.

I would make a suggestion you are free to use or discard. Whenever anyone tells you an idea is motivated by religion or politics, there is probably a religious or political motivation behind their statement. No slight meant to Berny.


 

Gold Member
Username: Project6

Post Number: 2670
Registered: Dec-03
"You would have to be using a Sony receiver made before 1980 to find a series connection on the A-B speakers. Even if this were the case, the amplifier would see the same basic wiring as from one post, the only significant difference being the series connection is somewhat more stable in a solid state amplifier. Therefore, connecting all the wires to speaker A or connecting each set of wires to A&B is the same connection as far as the amplifier is concerned"

---------------------

That's good information. Is this the case for most receivers, pre-1980s? I was never much into using the speaker B terminals.
No slight taken:-)
 

Bronze Member
Username: Mystro

Post Number: 28
Registered: Jan-05
I BI-WIRE in my home media room and my Production Studio. I feel their is an advantage with high end speakers and supper clean amps.
 

J. Vigne
Unregistered guest
To my knowledge older Sony is the only company that you're likely to find using a series connection in the A-B switching. There were a few companies that used series wiring in the days of tubes and very early solid state, but I can't imagine anyone having those pieces that doesn't know enough about audio to know what they have. Sony stopped doing series connection sometime in the '80's, I don't remember the exact time. They were getting killed by the guys who didn't understand the connection and complained their friend's Pioneer got louder when they switched on the extra speakers but their Sony got quieter. That alone was enough to kill the deal for some people. Explaining parallel/series connections didn't convince them they were better off with what they had since the amp was more stable with the higher impedance load of series connection.

All receivers and amplifiers I know of now use a parallel connection for speakers. Of course you shouldn't just take my word if you are thinking about making the connection; you should check with the manufacturer to be certain.



 

Gold Member
Username: Project6

Post Number: 2672
Registered: Dec-03
Aww, come on, Jan...you now those things never came with manuals. Isn't that the reason why we have this forum??? ;)

No?!?

Nevermind...




 

Bronze Member
Username: Goose

Post Number: 92
Registered: Feb-04
I experimented a bit with some bi-wireable speakers and found that simply replacing the stamped metal bi-wire jumpers with a short piece of speaker cable made an easily noticeable improvement. I do not claim to understand why this should be so, but even my non-audiophilic wife commented on it without being prompted, so something must have changed. (Just to be mischievous, one could argue that this is a form of bi-wiring, in that there are two runs of cable involved, with the common point not at the amplifier, but at the speaker.)

I did not go the next step and bi-wire from the amp, so I cannot say what effect that may or may not have had, but I have wondered ever since if this "fix" is behind the improvements that some people claim for bi-wiring.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Sause

Post Number: 27
Registered: Oct-04
Now I don't know about how the impedence works when bi-wireing speakers; but if both the low and high end are still at 8 ohms do not connect the wires to the A and B speaker terminals. All the receivers I have seen to today that are 8 ohms say that you need 16 ohm speakers if you use the A and B together, of corse you can switch this down to 4 ohms coming out and then you can use the A and B together (that allows you to put two pairs of 8 ohm speakers on the receiver)but then that screws up your other speakers (if you have a multi-channel receiver).
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