B&W 685 and Cambridge Audio 540 best connection

[swoosta]

Probably been answered before but cant find anything, just purchased used 685's and want to know whats the best set up - bi-wire or single. Someone said the A and B outputs are for running 2 sets of speakers not really bi wire - what will be best way to go?

 

[Al ears]

Just use a single pair and save yourself some money on the cables.

 

[swoosta]

i already have the bi wire Gale Electronics xl160 cable from my old speakers but was wondering if its best to stick with this and bi wire the new 685's or get new cable and single wire

 

[davedotco]

i already have the bi wire Gale Electronics xl160 cable from my old speakers but was wondering if its best to stick with this and bi wire the new 685's or get new cable and single wire

Double the cable up, ie two runs to each terminal.

Use one set of terminals on the amp and if you can do so neatly, remove the links and connect each double run through both terminals.

 

[swoosta]

so bi wire on the speaker and not on the amp?

 

[davedotco]

so bi wire on the speaker and not on the amp?

No.

Twist the two wires together and connect through the hole in the first red terminal, then into the hole of the second red. Repeat for the black terminals.

Just single wired, but with two wires per 'leg' so that you are using twice as much copper.

Probably make very little difference, but I think it is the best method overall.

 

[Reijer]

[/quote]

No.

Twist the two wires together and connect through the hole in the first red terminal, then into the hole of the second red. Repeat for the black terminals.

Just single wired, but with two wires per 'leg' so that you are using twice as much copper.

Probably make very little difference, but I think it is the best method overall.

[/quote]

Or use thicker copper wires.....

 

[davedotco]

No.

Twist the two wires together and connect through the hole in the first red terminal, then into the hole of the second red. Repeat for the black terminals.

Just single wired, but with two wires per 'leg' so that you are using twice as much copper.

Probably make very little difference, but I think it is the best method overall.

[/quote]

Or use thicker copper wires.....

[/quote]

He already has the bi-wire cable. save the cost of new cables and by beer instead...... :cheers:

 

[Neptune_Twilight]

If it's the same cable from Gale I'm thinking about (clear shroud) it's pretty (very) thin - I recently moved my speakers & used the ’AudioQuest FLX-SLiP 14/4' & twisted two cores together & they fit Ok into Fisual (£5 for 4) banana plugs from Amazon - I then linked the tweeter & woofer plugs on my speakers with a couple of inches of the same cable - At the amp end twist the two cores together (making sure they are the same colours the speaker end) and use banana plugs again - It's around a fiver a metre & easy to hide & being black is the same colour as my stands & if bent into a corner keeps it's shape, as good as anything IMO.

 

[JamesMellor]

Hi DDC

Can I ask , what is the difference between using two runs of the bi-wire cable from one set of the amp's terminals to one set of the speaker terminals with the links in and bi-wiring the speakers from one set of the amp's terminals with speakers the links out ? Is it not the same amount of copper ?

I bought bi-wire cable because the links on my speakers where lousy , they just wouldn't clamp down right ( never thought back then of just using a couple of inches of cable instead )

James

 

[davedotco]

Hi DDC

Can I ask , what is the difference between using two runs of the bi-wire cable from one set of the amp's terminals to one set of the speaker terminals with the links in and bi-wiring the speakers from one set of the amp's terminals with speakers the links out ? Is it not the same amount of copper ?

I bought bi-wire cable because the links on my speakers where lousy , they just wouldn't clamp down right ( never thought back then of just using a couple of inches of cable instead )

James

Not quite.

in a bi-wired setup a bass signal will only be played by the bass driver, which is fed by one set of cables. Using two cores in parallel as I describe will half the resistance of the cable, so half the 'losses'. Whether this is audible or of any consequence is another matter.

Supplied links are often described as poor, hence the suggestion to use the cable linked through both terminals, again any real differences remain to be proved. I just consider it as 'good practice'.