BiAmp my LSi 15s?

hockeyboy

I got divorced and moved so no longer have a movie room at my new place. I set up my system as a two channel now, using my 15's. I hooked them up to my Sunfire 7200 and they sound great but start clipping at higher levels. I don't really need tons more volume, but will it sound better if I BiAmp it? Also, I currently do not have a sub hooked up. I do have my big SVS which I could add to the mix. That was awesome for movies but will it make an improvement in this application? My intent is to get a turntable and make that room pure two channel. Any advise is appreciated, my gear is current in my signature though I also have 4 B&W 685's and a Sunfire 5400 sitting in the closet.

tonyb

Possibly echo Skip's advice, providing your room is on the larger side. The gear you have is meant for a larger room but trying to cram it all into say a 12 by 10 room in an apartment isn't going to sound good. How big of a space are you working with ?

hockeyboy

Thanks guys good to be back on. It's a house. The room is technically 12x 12 bit it's an open room without doors. One wall is completely open. It technically is a dining room but I'm using it for music. Going to put in a loveseat and drop on a lava lamp or two ��.

tonyb

The way I see it, the SVS is simply overkill for that size of a room. The LSI15's could use some more space to breath too but you may want to try the Sunfire on them.

I think a better route may be selling the 15's and moving to some LSIM bookies and incorporate the sub toned down some. Give you some better mid range snap. I know the SVS is a monster, but some better more musical subs are out there too from Rel, Revel, Velodyne, etc.

txcoastal1

Try the 685's with a sub set it around 50-60. I too am surprised about the clipping, I have the SF 7201 with my LSi25's and have never have any issues. I even put in some ear plugs and got it above 110db while testing for a short stint.

hockeyboy

Tony I think the musical sub suggestion is probably the way to go as much as I hate to let go of the SVS monsters. The room is really quite open as the open wall opens into a two floor area. That being said, the clipping only occurs are pretty high volume but surprised it happens at all. Question- since I still have several channels open on my amp, are there negatives to bi-amping? In that configuration seems like I would double the power to the speakers. Can they handle that, and do I trade anything off in tone?

dhart86

tonyb wrote: »

The way I see it, the SVS is simply overkill for that size of a room. The LSI15's could use some more space to breath too but you may want to try the Sunfire on them.

I think a better route may be selling the 15's and moving to some LSIM bookies and incorporate the sub toned down some. Give you some better mid range snap. I know the SVS is a monster, but some better more musical subs are out there too from Rel, Revel, Velodyne, etc.

If you decide to go with Tony B's suggestion on moving to some Lsim 703's ....I have a pair that I could let go to a club polk member for a very nice price/discount

F1nut

Question- since I still have several channels open on my amp, are there negatives to bi-amping? In that configuration seems like I would double the power to the speakers.

That's not bi-amping and you wouldn't be doubling the power either as most of what you would have going to the tweeter would be completely wasted.

tonyb

Lets stop and review this a second.

Your room is small....and opens up in the back to bigger open area's. You then crank on the volume dial because your sound is bleeding out the back, clipping your amp, you can't get the SPL's you want.

Your gear is fine for a bigger room, and HT, but the rooms and physical characteristics have changed drastically. IMHO...this requires you to change gear instead of trying to fudge it in, power is not your problem.

You can try adding the extra channel to the 15's in a ghetto bi-amp configuration, won't hurt anything....unless you go nuts on the volume dial. Personally though, I'm all for the right tools for the right job so to speak and don't believe the 15's will work regardless what you do because of the new room and any sub will be hard pressed to pressurize a room that's open as much as you say.

That said, and since you said this will be a 2 channel setup, I think the bookies and a more musical sub will grant you a better listening experience in the near field. But....it's not going to give you crazy SPL's like you had in a dedicated HT room either. So we have some priorities to distinguish here. You obviously can't change the room, but maybe you can change the wall of which it's located, that might help some.

Sound needs to bounce off walls, with an open room it dissipates into those open areas creating a sort of flat dull sound. It's not more power you need, but a rethinking of the right tools for the right job coupled with a sense of priorities you want in your sound.

EndersShadow

If your clipping the Sunfire then bi-amping isn't going to help much for you. The Sunfire has more than enough juice in one channel to provide the LSi 15's, adding another isnt going to do anything else.

I'd look to add your sub and crossover the 15's higher say in the 60-70 if not 80 range and let the sub handle the rest.

I'd also look to adjust your seating position. Since the room isnt truly 12x12 your good because square rooms suck for audio due to creating nulls that you cant fix. I'd start moving around while running some frequency sweeps to determine if your seat is in the best spot, and if your speakers are as well.

I can drive my 15's to 110+ db from 12 feet away with the amp I am using (Carver M1.0t), which isnt too far off spec wise from that Sunfire monster amp you have. Thats more than enough for me and more than many can handle for a decent period of time.

If you end up selling either of your Sunfire amps, post em here as they will go like hotcakes lol.....

BlueFox

If all you are doing is stereo then use the TGA-5400. It has double the power of the TGA-7200, 800W/ch into 4 ohms.

hockeyboy

Thanks guys. I should reiterate that overall it sounds pretty darn good so maybe my expectations are overly high. Points about moving the setup are good ones. I think flipping it around in the room could make a big difference that I didn't even consider. Thanks for the help guys.