Hello everyone! I just released the Tannoy XT6F, paired with a NAD c355bee and the result is great! Musicality and wonderful midrange / treble. The lows are correct but not exceptional. The fact is that I have another NAD c320bee and I have thought to use it to bi amplify the speakers. Should I use the c350bee for bass and the c320bee for mid / treble or vice versa? Thanks for the help!!
Tannoy Revolution XT6F bi-amp
- Thread starter manufelices
- Start date
manufelices said:
If you want to experiment then the way you stated would be correct but I doubt it will change anything in sq.
insider9
Well-known member
You can always try buy Tannoy with NAD will produce somewhat soft and wooly bass. Had DC6T with C320BEE a while back and its just the way it is.
If your C355BEE (not heard) is anything like C350 (also owned) then the difference to C320BEE will be substantial. However which you will prefer is anyone's guess.
If your C355BEE (not heard) is anything like C350 (also owned) then the difference to C320BEE will be substantial. However which you will prefer is anyone's guess.
First thing to understand, once you have the connections sorted that is, is that, in such a situation the maximum power of the system is the power of the smaller amplifier.
So in this case, adding a 50 watt C320bee to an 80 watt C355bee will reduce the system power from 80 watts to 50 watts, which may not matter all that much but will not give you the power boost that many seem to expect. Simply put, both amplifiers are being driven by a full range signal, so naturally the lesser powered one will clip/distort first.
As I said, this may not be important, the benefits of bi-amping may outway this, though personally I have yet to discern what those benefits are.
So in this case, adding a 50 watt C320bee to an 80 watt C355bee will reduce the system power from 80 watts to 50 watts, which may not matter all that much but will not give you the power boost that many seem to expect. Simply put, both amplifiers are being driven by a full range signal, so naturally the lesser powered one will clip/distort first.
As I said, this may not be important, the benefits of bi-amping may outway this, though personally I have yet to discern what those benefits are.
insider9
Well-known member
Depends on preference. C350 was probably more detailed however in my opinion C320BEE had better musicality and was smoother. However that's the C350 not C350BEE. Both didn't deliver the bass I like.
I'd listen to both and pick a favourite. Only you can tell. And it really doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.
I'd listen to both and pick a favourite. Only you can tell. And it really doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.
manufelices said:
Yes, the C350bee should be better on its own.
However, as with all things hi-fi, you may prefer it bi-amped. I have no idea whether there will be a sound difference or not, I havn't tried it and I doubt anyone else on here has either.
Since you have the amps, give it a try, fun thing to do on a rainy day.
newlash09
Well-known member
I was trying to do something similar till a while back. And was considering 3 different amps for the same.
Would help to know how you plan to connect both the amps in a bi-amp configuration. I tried to check up the specs on these amps. But my limited internet access is not permitting it.
Do you plan to feed line level inputs simultaneously to both amps from a common source, or will you be using pre-amp out from one amp, into HT bypass input on the other amp.
A lot of thing's will depend on your above decision. Please let me know how you plan to proceed, I would be interested in following your project
Since you already have both the amps, will surely be a interesting project for a rainy day
Would help to know how you plan to connect both the amps in a bi-amp configuration. I tried to check up the specs on these amps. But my limited internet access is not permitting it.
Do you plan to feed line level inputs simultaneously to both amps from a common source, or will you be using pre-amp out from one amp, into HT bypass input on the other amp.
A lot of thing's will depend on your above decision. Please let me know how you plan to proceed, I would be interested in following your project
Since you already have both the amps, will surely be a interesting project for a rainy day
Al ears
Well-known member
The plan is to connect the pre-out1 (c355bee) into the “main” (c320bee).
The HF connections of the Tannoy to the c320 and the LF to the c355. The sources to the c355bee
The HF connections of the Tannoy to the c320 and the LF to the c355. The sources to the c355bee
The plan is to connect the pre-out1 (c355bee) into the “main” (c320bee).
The HF connections of the Tannoy to the c320 and the LF to the c355. The sources to the c355be
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The HF connections of the Tannoy to the c320 and the LF to the c355. The sources to the c355be
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manufelices said:
From a practical point of view that is the way to do it.
Hopefully the input sensitivity of the two power amp sections will be the same and that the two amplifiers 'gain' tracks well one against the other but given the amps are from the same series this will most likely be the case.
That said, they are different models so there may well be differences, whether this setup makes any kind of a genuine improvement is more debate able, but do try and report back on what you think.
newlash09
Well-known member
As davedotco has correctly pointed out, you can check the specs of both your amp. If the gain mentioned for both amps is the same, then you can control volume for both the amps with a single remote control.
From my limited reading on the Internet, bi amping in this fashion, will give the benefit that each amp will see only one driver at a time. This increases the amps ability to cope better with the impedance change of a single driver. So the amp can output the same power as before more effortlessly, leading to less distortion. Thus, though the total power of your system will be the same, as the lower powered amp between the two. The clarity and dynamics should theoretically improve.
Will wait for your feedback after your experiments to see if this is right.
Maybe I should stop here, but In case you want to take your experiments a few steps ahead. Next step will be to feed only the mid+treble frequency to one amp, and bass frequency to the other. This will require a external cross over between your source and your amps. A mini dsp 2x4 can do this ( please read further on Google if interested). Theoretically again, this will enable your amp to see a limited bandwidth singal instead of a full range signal. This should again decrease distortion.
Disclaimer : As I mentioned before, all my above is from reading on the net. And there are people who claim benefits from doing the above. And there are a majority of the people who claim no difference, except an extra expenditure on speaker cables.
From my limited reading on the Internet, bi amping in this fashion, will give the benefit that each amp will see only one driver at a time. This increases the amps ability to cope better with the impedance change of a single driver. So the amp can output the same power as before more effortlessly, leading to less distortion. Thus, though the total power of your system will be the same, as the lower powered amp between the two. The clarity and dynamics should theoretically improve.
Will wait for your feedback after your experiments to see if this is right.
Maybe I should stop here, but In case you want to take your experiments a few steps ahead. Next step will be to feed only the mid+treble frequency to one amp, and bass frequency to the other. This will require a external cross over between your source and your amps. A mini dsp 2x4 can do this ( please read further on Google if interested). Theoretically again, this will enable your amp to see a limited bandwidth singal instead of a full range signal. This should again decrease distortion.
Disclaimer : As I mentioned before, all my above is from reading on the net. And there are people who claim benefits from doing the above. And there are a majority of the people who claim no difference, except an extra expenditure on speaker cables.
newlash09
Well-known member
You should be able to control the volume of the system, must by adjusting the volume of the c355, if both the c355 & c320 haven't same gain mentioned in their specs.
newlash09
Well-known member
I hope you can take the above post in the right context. Too much to type on my phone.
You can control volume by the c355 if both amps have the same gain stage. And input sensitivity...phew
You can control volume by the c355 if both amps have the same gain stage. And input sensitivity...phew
”Hello Manuel,
Thank you for contacting the NAD Electronics Support Center about bi-amping C355BEE + C320bee amplifiers.
The power difference between the 2 amplifiers is too great to use them to bi-amp the same speakers. The high-pass or low-pass sections would be under powered. As such we don not recommend this configuration.
Kind regards,
Bob”
Thank you for contacting the NAD Electronics Support Center about bi-amping C355BEE + C320bee amplifiers.
The power difference between the 2 amplifiers is too great to use them to bi-amp the same speakers. The high-pass or low-pass sections would be under powered. As such we don not recommend this configuration.
Kind regards,
Bob”
manufelices said:
And unusually honest answer from NAD.
The power thing goes back to my earlier post about the smaller amplifier being the limiting factor. Contrary to newlash's post, the amplifiers do not 'see' individual drivers as he suggests, this is wrong, both amplifiers are driven ful range and 'see' a passive crossover as the load, pretty much as befor.
That said, there is no reason not to experiment and see how you get on, you would have to do something seriously silly to cause any problems and. if you are interested, it may well teach you some things about hi-fi systems and how they work.
insider9
Well-known member
A way to mitigate this would be to connect C320BEE from its pre outs to line in on C355BEE. Set volume on C355BEE to 2/3rds which would manually reduce its max output to hopefully around what C320BEE outputs. Input sensitivity should be the same so volume changes should be linear.
You control overall volume from C320BEE.
You control overall volume from C320BEE.
Do you mean, the sources to the C320bee, and a RCA from its "pre-out" to the "main" of the C355bee?
insider9
Well-known member
Source to C320BEE then pre-outs to C355BEE into e.g. CD input. Set volume on C355BEE to about 2/3rds of max volume as this will effectively make it 50Wpc amp.
Control the volume of the whole setup from C320BEE.
Control the volume of the whole setup from C320BEE.
insider9 said:
That does not sound right to me. There will be one setting on the second amp that matches the 'sensitivity' of the first, you will have to set that by ear.
In any case, this will not limit the power of the bigger amp in any realistic manner, the C355BEE will still have greater headroom than the C320BEE, so it is still the latter that will clip first. Still better, i think, to connect via the pre/main sockets and rely on the amp design to match sensitivity. To be sure, check input sensitivity for the main (power) amp input of both models, hopefully it will be the same.
insider9
Well-known member
But it would work. I'd only do is as an experiment as don't believe it would make any difference but if I was to do it that's one of the ways I'd try.
Quite possibly an ordinary connection would suffice and work well.
Quite possibly an ordinary connection would suffice and work well.
Input sensivity (power amp section):
- C355bee: 940mV
- C320bee: 630mV
Input sensivity (preamp section):
- C355bee: 300mV
- C320bee: 220mV
- C355bee: 940mV
- C320bee: 630mV
Input sensivity (preamp section):
- C355bee: 300mV
- C320bee: 220mV
manufelices said:
That does not look like a good match in terms of the power amps, the C320BEE will be noticeably louder in bi-amp mode.
The suggestion that you run the pre-amp out into a regular line in on the C320BEE is a good one in this case as you can use the C320BEE volume contol to match the levels between amplifiers.
Lots of good 'experiments' to carry out if you are interested, just make sure that the amps are off when switching connections, particularly so if you are connecting direct to the power amp sections.
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