Question Power amp setup

[if...]

Hi All

I have a Myryad preamp that I want to connect to two Arcam P75 power amps to biwireable speakers. How do I connect all this together?!
Arcam manual here - https://www.arcam.co.uk/ugc/tor/diva-a65-plus-integrated-amplifier/User Manual/a65e_manual.pdf

I can’t seem to make head nor tail of how to connect the power amps and biamp safely!

Thanks all!

 

[insider9]

Without looking at any manuals the easiest way to connect is to run power amps bridged and connect them one per channel. As in left channel from one power amp, right from the other.

 

[if...]

Without looking at any manuals the easiest way to connect is to run power amps bridged and connect them one per channel. As in left channel from one power amp, right from the other.

Hi Insider9

Thank you for the quick reply! Sorry to be a numpty, but I really do need the "idiot's guide..." explanation!

 

[insider9]

Hi if...

No worries at all. I'll do my best tomorrow if you need further help.

Meanwhile have a look at Mono Link section of the manual.

 

[chris661]

Okay, so what you're looking to do appears easy enough.

Keep each monoblock mono-linked, and run 4-core cable from each amp to each speaker. Make sure the links are removed at the speaker terminals.

I must note, however, that I wouldn't hold much hope for any improvement in quality from going this route - after all, each amplifier is putting out the full audio spectrum at the terminals, and you're still driving the same passive crossover in the speakers. The only difference will be that current is only flowing at high frequencies for one amplifier, and low frequencies for another. If your amplifier cannot cope with passing current for the full frequency range, it is broken.

Bi-amping speakers properly means adding a line-level (ie, between pre-amp and power amp) crossover, and bypassing the ones inside the speakers. Since each amplifier will then be delivering only bass or treble, each one has a comparitively easy life. You also get the serious benefit of having each amplifier connected directly to each driver - bypassing the speaker-level passive crossover (which features inductors, one of the worst components around) is the best thing you can do.

Chris

 

[if...]

Hi

That’s really helpful - thank you.

When you say keep each monoblock mono linked, what does this mean? The Arcam amps are stereo?

Many, many thanks.

 

[chris661]

Please read the part of the manual titled "Installation: P75 Power Amplifier". It's all there.

Chris

 

[if...]

Please read the part of the manual titled "Installation: P75 Power Amplifier". It's all there.

Chris

Hi Chris

I have read this section but still don't quite understand it! Do I use the metal links at the back in some way? Sorry - I'm a relative newbie at all this!

Thanks!

 

[gasolin]

Without looking at any manuals the easiest way to connect is to run power amps bridged and connect them one per channel. As in left channel from one power amp, right from the other.

The Arcam P75 power amp can't be bridge

 

[gasolin]

Okay, so what you're looking to do appears easy enough.

Keep each monoblock mono-linked, and run 4-core cable from each amp to each speaker. Make sure the links are removed at the speaker terminals.

I must note, however, that I wouldn't hold much hope for any improvement in quality from going this route - after all, each amplifier is putting out the full audio spectrum at the terminals, and you're still driving the same passive crossover in the speakers. The only difference will be that current is only flowing at high frequencies for one amplifier, and low frequencies for another. If your amplifier cannot cope with passing current for the full frequency range, it is broken.

Bi-amping speakers properly means adding a line-level (ie, between pre-amp and power amp) crossover, and bypassing the ones inside the speakers. Since each amplifier will then be delivering only bass or treble, each one has a comparitively easy life. You also get the serious benefit of having each amplifier connected directly to each driver - bypassing the speaker-level passive crossover (which features inductors, one of the worst components around) is the best thing you can do.

Chris

Why do you think it's mono amps ?

 

[if...]

Why do you think it's mono amps ?

Hi All

it has a metal pin link that can be plugged into the sockets at the back to make it mono?!

 

[gasolin]

Hi All

it has a metal pin link that can be plugged into the sockets at the back to make it mono?!

Usually there a switch to make it bridgable. There isn't any switch.

The manual doesn't say it's an amp that can be bridged

Manual doesn't say what power it has in bridged mode

Theres no indication on the back to where you must connect the speakers when used in bridged mode or in the manual

Arcam P75 bridged?

As above chaps can this be done before I go spend any money

www.avforums.com

 

[chris661]

Nobody's talking about bridging the amplifiers. What we are talking about is linking the inputs together (ie, putting the U-shaped bit of metal into the phono sockets labelled "mono link") and having both amplifier channels putting out the same signal. Then, the output terminals would be connected to the two pairs of terminals at the speakers so there's one amplifier channel driving the low-frequency section (including lowpass crossover) of each speaker, and another amplifier channel driving the high-frequency section (including highpass crossover) of each speaker.

The HiFi world calls this "bi-amping", but it doesn't extract much/any additional performance. The performance gains are achieved when you bypass the speaker level crossover, and replace it with a line-level crossover and have the amplifiers connected directly to the drive units. I'd call that proper bi-amping.

Chris

 

[gasolin]

i see

 

[if...]

i see

This is very helpful - thank you. But if I do as you indicate using the u pins, how does one amp know to send the LF signal to both speakers, and the other know to send the HF signal? The only way to get a signal to each ammonia presumably to send the pre-out left phono to one of the P75s and the right to the other? Big so, doesn’t this mean one amp will only output the left signal and the other P75 the right signal, thereby sending left signal to one speaker and right to the other, rather than splitting the signal HF and LF?!

 

[if...]

This is very helpful - thank you. But if I do as you indicate using the u pins, how does one amp know to send the LF signal to both speakers, and the other know to send the HF signal? The only way to get a signal to each ammonia presumably to send the pre-out left phono to one of the P75s and the right to the other? Big so, doesn’t this mean one amp will only output the left signal and the other P75 the right signal, thereby sending left signal to one speaker and right to the other, rather than splitting the signal HF and LF?!

Sorry - predictive text! Will try again!

This is very helpful - thank you. But if I do as you indicate using the u pins, how does one amp know to send the LF signal to both speakers, and the other know to send the HF signal? The only way to get a signal to each amp is presumably to send the pre-amp left phono to one of the P75s and the right to the other? If so, doesn’t this mean one amp will only output the left signal and the other P75 the right signal, thereby sending left signal to one speaker and right to the other, rather than splitting the signal HF and LF?!

 

[chris661]

Sorry - predictive text! Will try again!

This is very helpful - thank you. But if I do as you indicate using the u pins, how does one amp know to send the LF signal to both speakers, and the other know to send the HF signal? The only way to get a signal to each amp is presumably to send the pre-amp left phono to one of the P75s and the right to the other? If so, doesn’t this mean one amp will only output the left signal and the other P75 the right signal, thereby sending left signal to one speaker and right to the other, rather than splitting the signal HF and LF?!

With the U-pins installed, the two amplifier channels in each P75 will put out the exact same signals.

ie, you'll have one P75 where both channels are putting out the L signal, and one P75 where both channels are putting out the R signal.
You have 4x amplifier channels, and you have 2x input signals, so of course you'll have pairs of amplifier channels putting out identical signals.

I hope that's clear.

At the speaker, you have two amplifier channels coming in, and two inputs. One of those inputs is the crossover section for the tweeter, and the other is the crossover section for the woofer.

The crossover is the bit that's doing the filtering here.

So now you have:
P75 (left) Channel 1 --> Left speaker's tweeter's crossover input
P75 (left) Channel 2 --> Left speaker's woofer's crossover input
P75 (right) Channel 1 --> Right speaker's tweeter's crossover input
P75 (right) Channel 2 --> Right speaker's woofer's crossover input



Again, given that the speakers' crossovers are still in play, you'll get the same performance with a single P75 used in a conventional stereo manner. Despite what the magazines may tell you, there is no benefit to operating a HiFi system in this way.
However, you said you want to do this, so here's how to do it.

Good luck.

Chris