Bi-wire speakers with single ports?

[nosiesta]

Hi there again

I recently changed my setup and the new kit does not have the option to bi-wire my speakers. I have decent, new, bi-wire cables so it seems a shame not to use them! What's the best way of wiring up my amp and speakers to take advantage of all this cabling that I have installed? I currently have plugs on all 4 ends. Is there an adapter out there that will enable to plug 2 plugs into 1 hole, so to speak?

I'm shocking at DIY so I 100% don't want to have to start soldering anything!!! Plus I have brand new Atlas plugs on my cables so wondering how I can still use this kit.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[twinkletoes]

Tbh for what you can pick cable up for id just roll it up and put away and buy another 4meters

lin k20 would cost 24 quid for 4 meters. a set of plugs a 10er max (make no mistake great cable)

but yeah you could undo everything and SQEEEEEEZ the cables into one plug which would be the most cost effective way.

 

[nosiesta]

Tbh for what you can pick cable up for id just roll it up and put away and buy another 4meters

lin k20 would cost 24 quid for 4 meters. a set of plugs a 10er max (make no mistake great cable)

but yeah you could undo everything and SQEEEEEEZ the cables into one plug which would be the most cost effective way.

Haha, no chance. This is 2 x 10m lengths of QED cable + decent plugs which cost a good £200+. Worst case, I'll use 2 strands for each speaker & tape the rest up, but I'd rather take advantage of the whole lot.

 

[Integralista]

Hi Nosiesta, which QED cable are you using? Why 2x10m, so long cables? Is your room so large?

 

[Vincent Kars]

If these are the plugs you are using: https://www.hifihuis.nl/product/atlas-achromatic-gold-z-plug-screw-set-van-4/
They accept up to 4 mm. Insert 2 wires in 1 plug?

 

[nosiesta]

Atlas Achromtic Z-Plugs & QED Original cable. 2 x 10m as it needs to go around the edge of the room to get to the stack. Is what it is.

 

[twinkletoes]

200 quid for a QED oringal how you come to that figure? £4.50 per meter standard run is 90 quid at most for 2x10

As its QED original its basically shot gun cable stuck togther just pull it apart into 4 paired runs

 

[My2Cents]

"I currently have plugs on all 4 ends"

A bi wire cable will have 2 plugs on one end and 4 on the other, so the above statement confuses me, unless you mean that you have plugs as opposed to bare wire?

Essentially 'bi wiring' is snake oil ('BUY' wiring) and often results in worse sound than standard wiring. It's a sales gimmick.
Remember, 'bi wiring' is not the same as 'bi amping' which, with some gear, can make an improvement in overall sound... but personally I have not experienced that.

IMHO speaker manufacturers should replace the money spent on extra binding posts and put it towards designing and manufacturing a higher quality crossover.

 

[nosiesta]

200 quid for a QED oringal how you come to that figure? £4.50 per meter standard run is 90 quid at most for 2x10

As its QED original its basically shot gun cable stuck togther just pull it apart into 4 paired runs

Thanks. I don't think it matters how much the cable was - I'm just looking for some advice on how to biwire with what I have. But FWIW, it's 2 x 10m lengths, plus plugs etc.

 

[nosiesta]

A bi wire cable will have 2 plugs on one end and 4 on the other, so the above statement confuses me, unless you mean that you have plugs as opposed to bare wire?

Essentially 'bi wiring' is snake oil ('BUY' wiring) and often results in worse sound than standard wiring. It's a sales gimmick.
Remember, 'bi wiring' is not the same as 'bi amping' which, with some gear, can make an improvement in overall sound... but personally I have not experienced that.

IMHO speaker manufacturers should replace the money spent on extra binding posts and put it towards designing and manufacturing a higher quality crossover.

Thanks. The cable is this 'QED Original Bi-Wire Speaker Cable'. It has 2 plugs on each end and is essentially 4 cables glued together in a strip. On my old set up, I had 4 outs and 4 ins per channel. But on my new set up I only have 2. Thanks

 

[Revolutions]

Bi-wiring will make no discerable difference to the sound.

Hopefully you can sell the bi-wire double cable jobby & it’ll cover the cost of a new pair of cables. Or just leave them disconnected. You only need to use 1 set of speaker outs from your amp, it’ll be fine.

 

[My2Cents]

200 quid for a QED oringal how you come to that figure? £4.50 per meter standard run is 90 quid at most for 2x10

As its QED original its basically shot gun cable stuck togther just pull it apart into 4 paired runs

If you order 10 meters of QED standard cable at ' futureshop' with 2 forte AIRLOC plugs plugs on one end and 4 on the other end it comes to 125 quid per cable including VAT.

 

[My2Cents]

Thanks. The cable is this 'QED Original Bi-Wire Speaker Cable'. It has 2 plugs on each end and is essentially 4 cables glued together in a strip. On my old set up, I had 4 outs and 4 ins per channel. But on my new set up I only have 2. Thanks

Bi Wire can't possibly have just 2 plugs on each end. It's either 2 to 4 (for bi wiring) or 4 to 4 (for bi amping).

 

[My2Cents]

Bi-wiring will make no discerable difference to the sound.

Hopefully you can sell the bi-wire double cable jobby & it’ll cover the cost of a new pair of cables. Or just leave them disconnected. You only need to use 1 set of speaker outs from your amp, it’ll be fine.

the OP can't bi amp or bi wire with the Dalis... they only have one set of binding posts... good decision by Dali.

 

[My2Cents]

OH NO! this may turn into a cable thread
A 10 meter run is pretty long.. how far apart are your speakers? How do you manage to sit in the sweet spot? Are you sitting 60 feet back from the center?

 

[twinkletoes]

Thanks. I don't think it matters how much the cable was - I'm just looking for some advice on how to biwire with what I have. But FWIW, it's 2 x 10m lengths, plus plugs etc.

ive given it to you strip it down the middle into 4 pairs. Its just plastic moulding holding it together, nick it with a knife and pull gently.

No need to take plugs off or rewire.

roll up the up the other 2 pairs and put it in the draw for later

 

[nosiesta]

Bi Wire can't possibly have just 2 plugs on each end. It's either 2 to 4 (for bi wiring) or 4 to 4 (for bi amping).

Sorry my typo! 4 to 4!

 

[nosiesta]

OH NO! this may turn into a cable thread
A 10 meter run is pretty long.. how far apart are your speakers? How do you manage to sit in the sweet spot? Are you sitting 60 feet back from the center?

I'm starting to regret asking! The cable needs to be length it is! The cable has to be rooted round a couple of corners, thus the length! I didn't just buy loads of excess cable for a laugh I don't have a listening room - it's my lounge and I can only put stuff where it can go!

 

[My2Cents]

I'm starting to regret asking! The cable needs to be length it is! The cable has to be rooted round a couple of corners, thus the length! I didn't just buy loads of excess cable for a laugh I don't have a listening room - it's my lounge and I can only put stuff where it can go!

Oh I see... well that makes sense. If your cable looks like the one I posted with the black, red, yellow and blue connectors then I would do what @twinkletoes recommended, just peel them apart and use them as regular cable?

 

[nosiesta]

Oh I see... well that makes sense. If your cable looks like the one I posted with the black, red, yellow and blue connectors then I would do what @twinkletoes recommended, just peel them apart and use them as regular cable?

Thanks. Given that I have the cables bought and installed, is there an audio advantage to wiring them together and carrying the signal via 4 cables to each speaker, rather than 2?

 

[My2Cents]

No. In fact, you will be increasing the resistance and over a 10 meter run may actually be a bad thing.

Were the plugs installed by the seller of the cable? Are they QED forte AIRLOC plugs? If so, don't mess with them.
If they are AIRLOC plugs fitted by QED they are cold welded to the cable and should be left that way. It is a genius idea and way way better than just screwing copper wire into cheap banana plugs.

 

[nosiesta]

No. In fact, you will be increasing the resistance and over a 10 meter run may actually be a bad thing.

Were the plugs installed by the seller of the cable? Are they QED forte AIRLOC plugs? If so, don't mess with them.
If they are AIRLOC plugs fitted by QED they are cold welded to the cable and should be left that way. It is a genius idea and way way better than just screwing copper wire into cheap banana plugs.

No, they are Atlas Achromtic Z-Plugs, but they were installed by Futureshop and are cold welded on.

 

[Messiah]

I would just keep it simple. Just keep your cables as they are (so they can be used ‘as is’ if needed in the future) and just use 1 pair from each set and leave the other disconnected (and perhaps tape the ends to prevent any stray connections).

 

[nosiesta]

I would just keep it simple. Just keep your cables as they are (so they can be used ‘as is’ if needed in the future) and just use 1 pair from each set and leave the other disconnected (and perhaps tape the ends to prevent any stray connections).

This is what I have done in the meantime. I just picked a red & a black, checked they worked, then taped up the other spare plugs.

 

[Messiah]

This is what I have done in the meantime. I just picked a red & a black, checked they worked, then taped up the other spare plugs.

Job done. 😊