Bi-Wiring - is it worth it?

[TrevC]

Bi-wiring my Acoustic Energy AE 120s made a big improvement. Bigger sound with more presence - extremely obvious to the listener. Would this be down to more available current to the drivers? I don't know much about these things but have read that the AE120's needed current to really come alive

Perhaps your original speaker cables weren't up to scratch.

 

[sublime]

Bi-wiring my Acoustic Energy AE 120s made a big improvement. Bigger sound with more presence - extremely obvious to the listener. Would this be down to more available current to the drivers? I don't know much about these things but have read that the AE120's needed current to really come alive

Perhaps your original speaker cables weren't up to scratch.

I used the same cables - when i purchased the speakers the dealer threw in some huge AE tri-wire cables that I used for a while in a tri-wire setup. Tri-wiring wasn't any different forom using a single wire but bi-amping was a marked step forward

 

[nopiano]

If you use a 100 watt for LF and a 20 watt for the HF your maximum power is then only 20 watts per channel.

Isn't that a bit misleading, Trev, because your HF component is unlikely to be more than a watt or two with real music (can't speak for electropop) even if the LF requires tens of watts. That would be the case with one regular stereo amp and standard wiring. The 'maximum' is not really the point, is it?

If they are gain matched both amplifiers are amplifying the entire signal to the same level, so the 20W one will clip on the bass much earlier that the 100 W one. The square wave products from the clipping distortion from the bass will therefore be fed into the HF section of your speaker if you attempt to go above 20W.

I was assuming they were being fed with signal after an active crossover, hence only getting their portion of the signal. I guess there are many permutations disguised by the overal title of bi-amping?

 

[The_Lhc]

Bi-wiring my Acoustic Energy AE 120s made a big improvement. Bigger sound with more presence - extremely obvious to the listener. Would this be down to more available current to the drivers? I don't know much about these things but have read that the AE120's needed current to really come alive

Perhaps your original speaker cables weren't up to scratch.

I used the same cables - when i purchased the speakers the dealer threw in some huge AE tri-wire cables that I used for a while in a tri-wire setup. Tri-wiring wasn't any different forom using a single wire but bi-amping was a marked step forward

Let's get this right, did you bi-AMP or bi-WIRE because you've said both in the space of two posts?

 

[TrevC]

If you use a 100 watt for LF and a 20 watt for the HF your maximum power is then only 20 watts per channel.

Isn't that a bit misleading, Trev, because your HF component is unlikely to be more than a watt or two with real music (can't speak for electropop) even if the LF requires tens of watts. That would be the case with one regular stereo amp and standard wiring. The 'maximum' is not really the point, is it?

If they are gain matched both amplifiers are amplifying the entire signal to the same level, so the 20W one will clip on the bass much earlier that the 100 W one. The square wave products from the clipping distortion from the bass will therefore be fed into the HF section of your speaker if you attempt to go above 20W.

I was assuming they were being fed with signal after an active crossover, hence only getting their portion of the signal. I guess there are many permutations disguised by the overal title of bi-amping?

I made it pretty clear. "passive variety, with the speaker crossovers in place"

 

[TrevC]

Bi-wiring my Acoustic Energy AE 120s made a big improvement. Bigger sound with more presence - extremely obvious to the listener. Would this be down to more available current to the drivers? I don't know much about these things but have read that the AE120's needed current to really come alive

Perhaps your original speaker cables weren't up to scratch.

I used the same cables - when i purchased the speakers the dealer threw in some huge AE tri-wire cables that I used for a while in a tri-wire setup. Tri-wiring wasn't any different forom using a single wire but bi-amping was a marked step forward

Were your ears syringed at any time during the changeover?

 

[sublime]

Bi-wiring my Acoustic Energy AE 120s made a big improvement. Bigger sound with more presence - extremely obvious to the listener. Would this be down to more available current to the drivers? I don't know much about these things but have read that the AE120's needed current to really come alive

Perhaps your original speaker cables weren't up to scratch.

I used the same cables - when i purchased the speakers the dealer threw in some huge AE tri-wire cables that I used for a while in a tri-wire setup. Tri-wiring wasn't any different forom using a single wire but bi-amping was a marked step forward

Let's get this right, did you bi-AMP or bi-WIRE because you've said both in the space of two posts?

Sorry for the confusion.

Arcam alpha 9 to AE120's - single wire or tri wire - makes no difference

Arcam Alpha 9 and 9P (power amp) in a bi-amp set up - big difference

I had the Alpha 9P running the bass and the Alpha 9 integrated running the mids and top.

 

[sublime]

Bi-wiring my Acoustic Energy AE 120s made a big improvement. Bigger sound with more presence - extremely obvious to the listener. Would this be down to more available current to the drivers? I don't know much about these things but have read that the AE120's needed current to really come alive

Perhaps your original speaker cables weren't up to scratch.

I used the same cables - when i purchased the speakers the dealer threw in some huge AE tri-wire cables that I used for a while in a tri-wire setup. Tri-wiring wasn't any different forom using a single wire but bi-amping was a marked step forward

Were your ears syringed at any time during the changeover?

twice - and also plucked my nose hairs if I remember rightly

 

[Vladimir]

I had my ex gf pluck some of my eyebrows once. I cried so much I completely forgot to bi-wire.

 

[davedotco]

I had my ex gf pluck some of my eyebrows once. I cried so much I completely forgot to bi-wire.

That is what you get allowing an ex gf to do the job, revenge is sweet.......

 

[TrevC]

Bi-wiring my Acoustic Energy AE 120s made a big improvement. Bigger sound with more presence - extremely obvious to the listener. Would this be down to more available current to the drivers? I don't know much about these things but have read that the AE120's needed current to really come alive

Perhaps your original speaker cables weren't up to scratch.

I used the same cables - when i purchased the speakers the dealer threw in some huge AE tri-wire cables that I used for a while in a tri-wire setup. Tri-wiring wasn't any different forom using a single wire but bi-amping was a marked step forward

Were your ears syringed at any time during the changeover?

twice - and also plucked my nose hairs if I remember rightly

Ah! There you have it, you modified the acoustics.