Biwire

 

New member
Username: Ryounglaw

Post Number: 1
Registered: Nov-05
I am new to this home audio thing and need some help. I have a denon AVR 1905 and Polk RTi8's and rear Bose speakers (slowly building). I just got the Polk CSi5. I am interested in using Biwire to the center however I do not have biwire running to the other speakers YET. Is it worth it. I have found the Monster M1.4s at Tweeter for $80. Is it worth it or should I just stay with normal speaker wire. Please help!!!
Ryan
 

Gold Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 6423
Registered: May-04


Stay with "normal" speaker wire if all you want to biwire is the center speaker.
 

New member
Username: Ryounglaw

Post Number: 2
Registered: Nov-05
I will eventually biwire the rest if its worth it. Is it??
 

Anonymous
 
"Worth it" is a relative term. I wouldn't find it a worthwhile expense, especially for 80 bucks. But this is only one person's opinion.
 

Gold Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 6424
Registered: May-04


There have been numereous articles written in the press and multiple posts in this and other forums concerning the value of biwiring. It is impossible to suggest what anyone else will hear and appreciate as an improvement. Therefore I would urge you to investigate the opinions of those who can explain the technical reasons for why biwiring might work or might not work well for you. Also gather the opinions of those who have tried the experiment by reading the archives of eCoustics. Put "biwiring/audio forums", or something similar, into a search engine and you should have plenty to read on the subject.




 

Silver Member
Username: Gman

Mt. Pleasant, SC

Post Number: 726
Registered: Dec-03
Bi-wiring should only benefit the wire company. Due to the laws of physics, one or 20 speaker wires going to the same speaker from the same amp channel will deliver the same power of signal. The only advantage could be if the speaker wire you are using is of such a thin gauge that inadequate signal is passing--and that is highly unlikely. If that is the case, just buy new thicker gauge wire.

Now bi-amping is a different animal. It is using one amp channel for the speaker's mid-high frequency drivers, and another for the low-frequency drivers. The speakers must have separate inputs for this and one must be sure to remove the jumpers from the speaker inputs first or amp will likely be destroyed. If one amp starts running out of power, normally the one driving the woofer (as it requires more power), then the other side remains clean instead of becoming part of the problem, a double-win. This is the very idea behind bass management and powered subwoofers in home theater systems and why it is a good idea to have self-powered subwoofers, so as to not tax the amplifier driving the other speakers. But I would never do bi-amping without expert handholding.
 

Gold Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 6504
Registered: May-04


I still suggest you read the past threads on biwiring.
 

Bronze Member
Username: Ptarmigan

Post Number: 20
Registered: Nov-05
Judge for yourself. That's what I did. The speaker makers, including the best, recommend it. For me, the improvement was amazing. It was not my imagination. My suspicion is that my speakers were designed to be used biwired because the frequency response was flatter.
You do not need exotic wire in the first place, and it is even less important with biwiring.
Try a little experiment. Get a spool of 18 gauge wire from the local big bargains store. Cut it into four pieces. Wire your speakers normally with two sets of the wire each. Listen to the stereo imaging, etc. Then reconfigure these speakers with biwiring. See if you hear a difference.
You just need to connect to a single set of speaker terminals, as usual.
Why does it work? My guess is the magnet field from the woofer travels over the internal speaker wires, through the crossover and interferes with the tweeter. I did this with two sets of speakers, one with a larger woofer than the other, and the benefits were more obvious with the bigger woofered set.
Now, it is entirely possible that with some speakers and/or amps that the speakers may sound better single wired, but I expect they would sound different.
As to center channel bi-wiring, I doubt it is worth the trouble, and even more so with side surrounds, but I could be wrong. I think my speakers would sound better as center channels with single wiring since they are stronger in the midrange with this configuration.
Also, if you want to improve the sound of your wire without going the boutique jumper cable route, apply a drop of Caig DeOxit or ProGold. It will probabably noticeably improve the detail by improving current flow over the contacts.
But the botton line on biwiring is try it for yourself.
[this site is acting buggy today. sorry if i double post.]
 

Bronze Member
Username: Ptarmigan

Post Number: 21
Registered: Nov-05
I almost forgot. Here is a site with info on wire gauge relatively to length and impedence:
http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm
 

Gold Member
Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 6515
Registered: May-04


OK, if you haven't put "biwiring" into a search engine to find out how it works (instead of just guessing how it works), here's a bit of information.

http://sound.westhost.com/bi-amp.htm


JPi, you doing fairly good here; but not all of the "best" speaker manufacturers recommend biwiring. Some are adamantly opposed to the idea. It mostly has to do with how the Xo is constructed and whether there will be any advantage to separating the ground paths. Nothing to do with the "magnet fields".




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