bi-wire speaker cables paired with amp with just 4 posts

Norm Apter

Hello folks,

I just found a pair of bi-wire speaker cables on the 'Gon and expressed interest to the seller but it wasn't until after I sent the message that I realized that my amp has a total of only 4 posts for speaker wires (haven't heard back from him). Speakers are Lsi9s, which of course do have two sets of posts.

Given my amp's limited configuration, would purchasing these be foolish or even potentially harmful to amp or speakers? And if I were to pick them up, would I plug both sets into the speaker after removing the metal plates with just one set to the amp, or alternatively would I just plug one pair into each end (amp and speaker) and leave the others hanging out.

Norm

Norm Apter

I usually wouldn't bump anything other than "for sale" items but the clock is ticking...the seller responded and they are mine if I get the money order in the mail tomorrow.

BTW, these are Shotgun S-3s Speaker interface cables and I'd really to pick them up as I have matching ICs if there isn't a problem. If my description above is not clear let me know and I'll try to explain it better.

So, can anybody help a brotha out?

TECHNOKID

In fact, I do not fully undestand your cable <=> receiver description but one thing for sure, bi-wiring is not a sound expense (not worhtwhile) in my book and if you look on this site and others, this opinion is quite shared. When you bi-wire, you do not isolate the tweeter - woofer and you do not gain in power either since you share the same output therefore splitting the current.

Norm Apter

TECHNOKID wrote: »

In fact, I do not fully undestand your cable <=> receiver description but one thing for sure, bi-wiring is not a sound expense (not worhtwhile) in my book and if you look on this site and others, this opinion is quite shared. When you bi-wire, you do not isolate the tweeter - woofer and you do not gain in power either since you share the same output therefore splitting the current.

thanks for your response.

OK, I think I may have answered my question by going to Joe Abram's web site and getting an image -- it looks like the bi-wire cables have only one set of connectors per cable on the amp end which is what I need.

BTW, the bi-wire was not the draw...its these particular cables that I wanted and this used pair just happen to be bi-wired. But thanks for your response.

CoolJazz

TECHNOKID wrote: »

...but one thing for sure, bi-wiring is not a sound expense (not worhtwhile) in my book and if you look on this site and others, this opinion is quite shared. When you bi-wire, you do not isolate the tweeter - woofer and you do not gain in power either since you share the same output therefore splitting the current.

Not to pick on you Technokid, not at all, but I see this kind of advice over and over (as you say) and wonder if the principle behind biwiring is that misunderstood. Actually, you do isolate the tweeter and woofer by biwiring!

The advantage, or not, is all dependant on the individual components in use in your system. The output impedance (and dampening factor) of the amplifier, the type of cabling and the impedance of it, and the load including phase angles that the speaker system presents.

Biwiring can and does work by splitting up the load before the resistance of the speaker lead length. You can grasp the concept by illustration. Try finding the wifes vacuum if you can. After dark, turn on lights in several rooms of the house. Plug in and turn on the vac (she'll be glad to show you how) and move between different outlets. If you hit one thats on the same circuit as the lights, you see the light dim noticably much more than when you turn on attached to other outlets not on the same circuit! Why? Because you've just illustrated the same concept of pulling power from the same source after the wire length versus pulling from a different wire going back to the same exact source...the breaker panel. The breaker panel being in this case the same low impedance source.

Dismissing biwiring, off hand without allowing for trying in the specific situation, is waving off a easy and potentially effective upgrade. I had a buddy just add a second path just a few weeks ago and he's very vocally ecstatic about the upgrade. In his case, it's only about a 4-5 foot speaker lead length and the tweeter side is rolled in with only a 6db slope via a single high grade capacitor. Extremely revealing difference via the JBL compression driver.

CoolJazz

McLoki

Bi-Wire only has 2 sets of connections on the amp end (4 total). There will be 4 sets of connections (8 total) on the speaker end.

What you are thinking of and confused about (I think) is bi-amping where you would need an amp channel for each set of terminals on the speaker.

Long story short - you are fine, go on the with the purchase and let us know how they sound.

Michael

treitz3

These will work in your system. Only two nanner's go into the amp with 4 going into the speaker, after the network box as shown in the picture below...



Yes, you will have to remove the metal plates.

Norm Apter

Thanks for the explanations, guys (and thanks for including an image). I'm going to go for it.

The picture that the seller has listed on A-gon shows them with spades currently affixed (at least on the speaker end of one of the cables pictured). But he did note that MIT spades and bananas will be included. Is it as simple as **** these connectors off and on?