Have your say & ask the experts

BI-wire or not

Last post Nov 20, 2008, 8:26 PM by Tonestar1. (5 replies)
Sort Posts:

Posted on Nov 20, 2008, 6:08 PM

BI-wire or not

Hello. I have the MA RS6 with Arcam AVR350. Now I need good cables, but don't know if it's worth the biwiring.

I read this article recently:



 

One thing that happens when you biwire your loudspeakers is that the input of the high- and the low-pass filters are fed with different input signals. The difference is a result of the high frequencies and the low frequencies being forced to travel different paths, perhaps through different types of cables, but under all circumstances through cables who have seen different loads (a tweeter with a high pass filter has a completely different impedance response compared to a woofer with a low pass filter!).

What happens is that the drivers will work less good together than when their filter halves were fed with equal signals. The result is a generation of more static and stochastic phase error sounds at different directions from the loudspeaker. The stochastic phase error sounds appear because there may be different types of unlinearities in the low- and high-frequency paths.

What does this sound like? Well, usually, just as you may expect from physics, it appears as a change in the reproduction of space and sound stage. Often, the first impression is that the "biwired" sound presents extended "dimensions", more "air", and is more "living". The impression after a week or month, however, is that all recordings sound very much alike, and the "airiness" appears on all records. It does not even sound like air anymore, instead more like a slime that pollutes every record you play. No wonder, since it is not a real, recorded quality but a "speaker characteristic" added to all reproduced material. "Sameness" is another word for it.



 

So, maybe not so that good to bi-wire. What are your thoughts?


The site is http://www.sonicdesign.se/biwire.html


Thank you

Posted on Nov 20, 2008, 6:40 PM

157471

Re: BI-wire or not

How many channels are you using on your surround system?  If it's only 5.1 I would by two runs of speaker cable and bi-ampthe fronts using the AVR350. This gives a really impressive upgrade in sound quality.

I recently bought my AVR350 at a bargin £599. I'm mainly into stereo and didn't hear a £600 stereo amp that sounded much better.

If you're using 7 channels on your surround sound I wouldn't bother bi-wiring anything other than the front L+R.  Even then the difference aint great so I would try to test before investing a lot in double cable. Go to a dealer  with the kit you have and hopefully the cables you want and ask them to set it up as a demo for you. If you can't hear it don't buy it!

Arcam DV135
Arcam AVR350
B&W 684 QED SA XT(Bi-amped)
Sony KDL-46W2000
Audica CS1 3 in 1 C,L&R.
Sony DAV-DZ830W DVD and amp in a box corresponding rear surround.

Posted on Nov 20, 2008, 7:02 PM

157486

Re: BI-wire or not

Personally, I would spend the money on a better quality single wire run.
Cyrus 7 Amp, Straight Line Amp, CD6s, AV Master, Tri-Arbour Rack. MA RS1 on Super Dreadnaughts. MA RS LCR. Mission 78DS. Yamaha Sub. Pioneer DVD-LX50. Sony PS3. Samsung 37M86. Merlin Chopins, IRC6 and Tarantulas. Tacima Block. Grado SR60.

Posted on Nov 20, 2008, 7:20 PM

157499

Re: BI-wire or not

agree with both tonestar and messiah on this, if your only using a 5.1 set up then use the rear channels to bi-amp the fronts, but if not use the money on better quality single runs rather than bi-wire
arcam a32/p35,roksan kandy mkiii,b&w 684's
dell inspiron,beresford tc7510 dac
chord carnival silverscreen
chord crimson interconnects x2
chord prodac pro-digital x2
tacima cs929

Posted on Nov 20, 2008, 7:25 PM

157508

Re: BI-wire or not

I will have 5.1but for now only stereo. The bi-wiring question is only for the stereo, as I listen to a lot of cds.

Thanks

Posted on Nov 20, 2008, 8:26 PM

157515

Re: BI-wire or not

Use the 350 to bi-amp the fronts then. You will get a far better sound. It tells you how to set it up in the manual.
Arcam DV135
Arcam AVR350
B&W 684 QED SA XT(Bi-amped)
Sony KDL-46W2000
Audica CS1 3 in 1 C,L&R.
Sony DAV-DZ830W DVD and amp in a box corresponding rear surround.