Trouble with bi-wiring, system "Overloads" when tweeter used

bigcarpileup

So far my success with bi-wiring is minimal. I have gotten some good sound, but if I go too far up with the volume, the receiver displays "OVERLOAD" and shuts down. At first I had the highs wired to the Front B connectors in the back, but after reading some about bi-wiring I put both the highs and lows in the Front A connectors.

After doing some troubleshooting, I found that if the Tweeters are disconnected the system no longer overloads. Why would this be?

Does anyone know the correct gauge of wire for wiring the tweeters separately? I am told my speakers are "Rt55 originals". They each have a tweeter, and 2 mid ranges. Or couldn't I just get some Bi-wire cable? I've seen it online but it can be pricey. I need about 6 foot of length max.

Can I take my existing Monster cable (not sure what gauge it is) and cut the ends off (the metal tips with plastic rubber around it) and divide the wire strands on one end into 4 ends? I saw these "bi-wire pants" on Ebay. Can I split the ends and make my own bi-wire this way?

LessisNevermore

Did you remove the jumpers from your speakers?

kawizx9r

LessisNevermore wrote: »

Did you remove the jumpers from your speakers?

+1

Very familiar with those speakers, and if you don't remove the jumper post (gold metal post between the speaker terminals) you will damage said-components. That being said, are you bi-wiring from a receiver or from 1 external amplifier? Almost always will you NOT hear any difference in SQ because power is all coming from the same power supply/amplifier section, thus you won't be receiving "more power" like you thought you would. Alot of people mistake this for bi-amping.

If you are indeed running them off an AVR, might I suggest an external amplifier, your ears will thank you.

P.S. If you are running just 1 amp for these speakers IE 2 channels from 1 amp or an AVR, try replacing the stock binding posts with some quality speaker wire.

-Freddy

sTiLlLeArNiNg

To keep it simple just do this:



I noticed quite a difference when i did it

Montoya

This example is only showing a jumper to bi-wire is to use two seperate cables or one single with bass and treble leads. For more details audioquest published some paperwork explaining the application of bi-wire. Some will argue the merits of bi-wire but let your ears be the judge my advice is one pair of really good cables with a solid jumper like the ones offered by audioquest.

sTiLlLeArNiNg wrote: »

To keep it simple just do this:



I noticed quite a difference when i did it

sTiLlLeArNiNg

^^ I know what it is that i did, seeing as the OP is using an AVR to try this (bi-wiring) i suggested a quick/simple "mod" to improve his sound untill he had the proper equipment to do some bi-wiring

bigcarpileup

Okay. I will try and update this as best I can.

That being said, are you bi-wiring from a receiver or from 1 external amplifier?

I am bi-wiring using a Pioneer Stereo Receiver VSX-605S. (see pic)
I am bi-wiring using 2 separate wires for tweeters and the lows.

Almost always will you NOT hear any difference in SQ because power is all coming from the same power supply/amplifier section, thus you won't be receiving "more power" like you thought you would. A lot of people mistake this for bi-amping.

I don't want that much power, I'd rather have the sound quality. The sound was really good when I had the highs in the Front A connections and the lows in the Front B connections. Or at least it sounded really good to me. But when I turned it up even a quarter of the way, "OVERLOAD" blinked and it shut down.

Even after putting both sets of wires (highs and lows) all in the Front A connections it still "OVERLOADS" and shuts down.

I am unfamiliar with the term "AVR" !

I am a bit of dunce with this compared to the rest of you and by "External Amplifier" do you mean a second Stereo Receiver? Or like the AMPS people used to put in their cars when I was a teenager??

P.S. If you are running just 1 amp for these speakers IE 2 channels from 1 amp or an AVR, try replacing the stock binding posts with some quality speaker wire.

So you are saying by Bi-wiring with a single Stereo Receiver like mine is a waste of time and that I should just wire it up with the binding posts?

my advice is one pair of really good cables with a solid jumper like the ones offered by audioquest

So I should use a short length of wire as a jumper? I should get a solid jumper from audioquest? i just looked on the audioquest website. Could not find the jumpers...





hmmm... the current state of the speakers. You know what... I had my Monster Cables attached to the the connectors for the tweeters at the top. The Monster Cables are not pictured...

bigcarpileup

how would you use these?

10-Pair,Dual Banana Bi-Wire Speaker Cable Connector,547

kawizx9r

Well you understood everything I got at.

Try powering your speakers WITHOUT BI-WIRING, but use a small piece of wire between the posts such as the picture posted up above and tell us if it still goes into overload.

AVR means audio-video receiver...pretty much what you have.

When I say external amplifier.....those amps you saw in cars is a good example. Except there are such amplifiers (in the shape of a receiver, rectangular) available for home use and used strictly to power a pair of speakers with more and clean current.

-Freddy

BlueFox

bigcarpileup wrote: »

hmmm... the current state of the speakers. You know what... I had my Monster Cables attached to the the connectors for the tweeters at the top. The Monster Cables are not pictured...

I would be VERY CAREFUL wiring like in the picture. Having both +/- next to each other is very easy to get a short, which tends to be a bad thing.

Seperate the two strands back by 1 foot, then attach both wires on the left side of the post and wrap the bare wire to the right around the post. This way when you tighten it will pull the wire in. Wrapping to the left will have a tendency to unwrap when tightening the post.

LessisNevermore

BlueFox wrote: »

I would be VERY CAREFUL wiring like in the picture. Having both +/- next to each other is very easy to get a short, which tends to be a bad thing.

After seeing the pic, Imma take a stab, and say a stray wire strand may have caused the shutdown.;)

Systems

Is this an example of biwiring or a substitute for the solid jumpers that come with the speakers?

kawizx9r

ken.paduch wrote: »

Is this an example of biwiring or a substitute for the solid jumpers that come with the speakers?

Yep it is, although bi-wiring almost always shows no increase in sound quality. I would guess that the difference would come sooner if you replaced the jumper between binding posts with quality wire as opposed to bi-wiring. Just my .02

-Freddy

bigcarpileup

I redid the wiring using wire instead of a jumper. Like the photo in post #4. Instead of wrapping the wire around, I put it through the hole that I didn't see the first time around. It's okay for now, but I have some work involved. I will update with a new photo as soon as I can.

But with the jumper method, there was no OVERLOAD to speak of. I turned the volume a little more than half way up and had no errors.

Can someone send me a link to one of these amps you would use for Bi-Amping?

kawizx9r

bigcarpileup wrote: »

I redid the wiring using wire instead of a jumper. Like the photo in post #4. Instead of wrapping the wire around, I put it through the hole that I didn't see the first time around. It's okay for now, but I have some work involved. I will update with a new photo as soon as I can.

But with the jumper method, there was no OVERLOAD to speak of. I turned the volume a little more than half way up and had no errors.

Can someone send me a link to one of these amps you would use for Bi-Amping?

In order to use bi-amping, you would need 2 amplifiers.....or better yet a stereo amplifier with true monoblocks built in. A 2 channel amplifier will not be the same since all power comes from the same amp section and power supply.

Does your AVR (receiver) have preamp outputs? That's where you'd connect an external amplifier to then utilize your AVR as a preamp. Please post any questions if I lost you

F1nut

You should be looking elsewhere if you want to improve the quality of the sound.

wutadumsn23

F1nut wrote: »

You should be looking elsewhere if you want to improve the quality of the sound.

+1, this won't do much for you as far as SQ is concerned. As stated above in a few posts.

-Jeff

TNRabbit

F1nut wrote: »

You should be looking elsewhere if you want to improve the quality of the sound.

x99

Bi-wiring is a waste of time, IMO. Unless you're going to bi-AMP, don't bother.

sTiLlLeArNiNg

TNRabbit wrote: »

x99

Bi-wiring is a waste of time, IMO. Unless you're going to bi-AMP, don't bother.

Bi-wiring with an AVR is pointless IMO but if you have a quality AMP with multiple channel's i think it would give an audible benefit, probably increase the "separation" and enhance the quality of the frequencies By how much i don't know....

bld

try bringing 2 sets of speaker wire for each speaker both attached to the same channel at the amplifier and using the seperate posts at the speaker , i did it this way and definetly heard a big difference with the sound.

anhchungdoan

sTiLlLeArNiNg wrote: »

To keep it simple just do this:



I noticed quite a difference when i did it

I do not believe I would call this " bi-wiring". This is what I would call a replacement of a metal jumper with a wire jumper.

sTiLlLeArNiNg

Who said that was bi-wiring? lol

I simply said to keep it simple and just replace the metal jumper. I merely posted the pic to make it even simpler