Thread: Bi Amping

L2W this question is for you. What exactly is bi amping speakers and what is the benefits or downfall of doing this?

Bi-amping is the practice of utilizing two audio amplifiers to power a set of loudspeakers (contained within one speaker enclosure).

The speaker system has to be wired to accommodate it as does the receiver, typically with two sets of binding posts, one set for the bass and one set for the mid-highs. A single amplifier can usually power a woofer and a tweeter only through a crossover filter, which protects each driver from signals outside its frequency range. However, the crossovers themselves waste power; bi-amping along with active crossover components works around this problem by putting crossover networks before the amplifiers rather than between amplifiers and loudspeakers.

The result is cleaner sound although some say they can't tell a difference.



An image to help explain.

Did that help?

Not really. I want to know what the advantage or disadvantage there is to doing that. You know what I'm running now. Would I benefit from it or not??? Just trying to get a less technical definition.

Originally Posted by hdtvjunkie

Not really. I want to know what the advantage or disadvantage there is to doing that. You know what I'm running now. Would I benefit from it or not??? Just trying to get a less technical definition.

Yes, no, maybe so...I don't think your speakers have the 2 separate posts (like in the picture) anyway, do they?

Originally Posted by Loves2Watch

Yes, no, maybe so...I don't think your speakers have the 2 separate posts (like in the picture) anyway, do they?

No they do not. I went back and looked the definition over again, I understand it now. Kinda has an advantage and a disadvantage at the same time.

Originally Posted by hdtvjunkie

No they do not. I went back and looked the definition over again, I understand it now. Kinda has an advantage and a disadvantage at the same time.

There are more advantages than disadvantages but you first must invest in the equipment. You already have the receiver so when you do get new speakers, keep that in mind if you want to try it out. It does sound quite good on the systems I have hooked up that way.

Originally Posted by Loves2Watch

There are more advantages than disadvantages but you first must invest in the equipment. You already have the receiver so when you do get new speakers, keep that in mind if you want to try it out. It does sound quite good on the systems I have hooked up that way.

I will keep that in mind. I would like to try it out. I looked in my manual for the Onkyo, it didn't say anything about hooking it up 7.1 only 5.1, does that sound right to you?

Originally Posted by hdtvjunkie

I will keep that in mind. I would like to try it out. I looked in my manual for the Onkyo, it didn't say anything about hooking it up 7.1 only 5.1, does that sound right to you?

Correct, if you do bi-amp the front speakers you will loose the ability to use 7.1. It matters not to me because even a 7.1 soundtrack (not the norm anyway) sounds awesome on a 5.1 system. Also of note - In most all cases, with an occasional rare exception, the sound from the 2 rear speakers is identical. That is to say it is in all actuality a 6.1 system, where the same rear channel is duplicated to both rear speakers.

Your receiver will take that extra channel or channels as the case may be and mix them into the surrounds so there is no loss of audio information.

Originally Posted by Loves2Watch

Correct, if you do bi-amp the front speakers you will loose the ability to use 7.1. It matters not to me because even a 7.1 soundtrack (not the norm anyway) sounds awesome on a 5.1 system. Also of note - In most all cases, with an occasional rare exception, the sound from the 2 rear speakers is identical. That is to say it is in all actuality a 6.1 system, where the same rear channel is duplicated to both rear speakers.

Your receiver will take that extra channel or channels as the case may be and mix them into the surrounds so there is no loss of audio information.

Thanks L2W!!! As it is now I only have a couple BDs that are 7.1 so 5.1 is no biggie.

Originally Posted by hdtvjunkie

Thanks L2W!!! As it is now I only have a couple BDs that are 7.1 so 5.1 is no biggie.

And they sound great, don't they...

Originally Posted by Loves2Watch

And they sound great, don't they...

Yes they do. 3:10 to Yuma really keeps the backs busy.

Originally Posted by hdtvjunkie

Yes they do. 3:10 to Yuma really keeps the backs busy.

As it should...

Originally Posted by Loves2Watch

There are more advantages than disadvantages but you first must invest in the equipment. You already have the receiver so when you do get new speakers, keep that in mind if you want to try it out. It does sound quite good on the systems I have hooked up that way.

So - can you play your speakers louder that way, or are they just louder with less "volume"?

Originally Posted by hdtvjunkie

I will keep that in mind. I would like to try it out. I looked in my manual for the Onkyo, it didn't say anything about hooking it up 7.1 only 5.1, does that sound right to you?

My towers are bi amped from an Onkyo, and it sounds terrific. The back of the Onkyo clearly labels the 7.1 leads for bi amp option. IMO, bi amping opens up the uncompressed soundtracks like TrueHD and DTS-MA even more and makes them really shine. You'll like it.

I agree with uminchu. When I first got my pinnacle towers I had them bi amped and it sounded better. Especially the bass.

i have my speakers bi-amped. it sounds damn good to me. my receiver can't do true 7.1 being a non HDMI receiver anyway, only DD-EX or DTS-ES.

If you have a receiver and speakers that allow bi-amping, I highly recommend it. You will never know what you might be missing until you try it.