Bi-amp shootout
Carbo3D
Posts: 10
Newbie to this forum. I just picked up a pair of terrific RT55i speakers...with stands....for $50. Love these! I'm running a Yamaha RX-V667 with discrete amps so I wanted to try a bi-amp test. I set both speakers next to each other; one was single-amp'd, the other bi. I fed a mono source into both and switched back and forth. Verdict? NO audible difference. They sound EXACTLY the same with either connection. Clean, punchy, precise (all good because I can use those extra amps for other speakers). What results have you all had with bi-amping?
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The receiver you are using while technically has several separate amps for each channel, has only one power supply to power all the channels collectively.
True Bi-amping would employ separate amps with separate power supplies.
With anything audio though, there is not much consensus on anything.
You may find some to say either hook up is better or no difference.
But fun to try stuff out, either way! -
Nice grab on the RT55i - sleeper speaker for sure.
Welcome to the board.I disabled signatures. -
Newbie to this forum. I just picked up a pair of terrific RT55i speakers...with stands....for $50. Love these! I'm running a Yamaha RX-V667 with discrete amps so I wanted to try a bi-amp test. I set both speakers next to each other; one was single-amp'd, the other bi. I fed a mono source into both and switched back and forth. Verdict? NO audible difference. They sound EXACTLY the same with either connection. Clean, punchy, precise (all good because I can use those extra amps for other speakers). What results have you all had with bi-amping?
That's because it wasn't bi-amping, which requires separate power amplifiers each with it's own power supply and the use of active crossovers.
BTW, a mono source is not a good way to discern much other than tone differences, which is important, but far from all the aspects of stereophonic music reproduction.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Thanks for this info. I’m wrapping my head around the gear required for true discrete bi-amping vs. the “hybrid” bi-amping sold and promoted by manufacturers (in this case Yamaha). They market it as simply “connect two separately-amplified signals from our device to your bi-amp-able speakers and you’ll improve the sound.” It “sounds” good in theory, but does it result in an audible increase in quality? And my shootout, based on the simple parameters marketed by manufacturers, didn’t seem to result in any change. I guess I’m asking if anyone has had an audible improvement by simply connecting a bi-amp speaker to a stock bi-amp-capable receiver/amp?
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F1:+1 er well more. +2.5. As Jesse said true bi-amping takes much more - take it from me.Samsung 60" UN60ES6100 LED Outlaw Audio 976 Pre/Pro Samsung BDP, Amazon Firestick, Phillips CD Changer Canare 14 ga - LCR tweeters inside*; Ctr Ch outside BJC 10 ga - LCR mids, inside* & out 8 ga Powerline: LR woofers, inside* & out *soldered LR: Tri-amped RTi A7 w/Rotels. Woofers - 980BX; Tweets & “Plugged*” Mids - 981, connected w/MP Premiere ICs Ctr Ch: Rotel RB981 -> Bi-amped CSi A6 Surrounds: Premiere ICs ->Rotel 981 -> AR 12 ga -> RTi A3. 5 Subs: Sunfire True SW Signature -> LFE & Ctr Ch; 4 Audio Pro Evidence @ the “Corners”. Power Conditioning & Distribution: 4 dedicated 20A feeds; APC H15; 5 Furman Miniport 20s *Xschop's handy work
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If you had a receiver that allowed zone 2 to be utilized for bi-amping, something that you’d actually have to change in the settings. that might work better. In a case like that, it’s an actual separate amplification section that would then be utilized for providing power to your second set of speaker terminals. Unfortunately, I think it’s still not going to be the same as running 2 amplifiers, as you’re still utilizing one power supply, and generally speaking most receivers tend to do the most with what they have available to them. That said, you should still notice *something*. True bi-amping would be if you took a second separate amplifier and hooked it up to your second set of posts.
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Welcome Sorry_Access_Denied to Club Polk. Forgive my assumption based upon your post count.
Myself and one or two others dabble in bi/tri-amping our speaker(s). You can view my work in the following links.
https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/174880/tri-amped-rti-a7#latest
https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/175612/tri-amped-csi-a6#latest
Bi-amped, tri-amped, or quad amped - You decide:
The ‘A6 amp* has dedicated capacitor banks for the connected channels powered by shared transformer. The ‘A7s’ amps both have a single transformer but each channel has dedicated secondary transformer windings, bridge rectifiers, and capacitor banks.
*gonna try a 981 when I have the house to myself
While retired these days, I have several “Honey Do” projects, one ginormous, in front of me... I have correctly bi-amped ‘A3 surrounds on my radar.
Again welcome to Club Polk - a wealth of 2 ch and Home Theatre information.Samsung 60" UN60ES6100 LED Outlaw Audio 976 Pre/Pro Samsung BDP, Amazon Firestick, Phillips CD Changer Canare 14 ga - LCR tweeters inside*; Ctr Ch outside BJC 10 ga - LCR mids, inside* & out 8 ga Powerline: LR woofers, inside* & out *soldered LR: Tri-amped RTi A7 w/Rotels. Woofers - 980BX; Tweets & “Plugged*” Mids - 981, connected w/MP Premiere ICs Ctr Ch: Rotel RB981 -> Bi-amped CSi A6 Surrounds: Premiere ICs ->Rotel 981 -> AR 12 ga -> RTi A3. 5 Subs: Sunfire True SW Signature -> LFE & Ctr Ch; 4 Audio Pro Evidence @ the “Corners”. Power Conditioning & Distribution: 4 dedicated 20A feeds; APC H15; 5 Furman Miniport 20s *Xschop's handy work
