Bi-Wiring speakers
Printed From: Graham Slee Hifi System Components
Category: And the rest
Forum Name: Transducers, Speakers, Mics...
Forum Description: Interested in bi-amping, tri-amping, crossovers, speaker design, miking techniques, EQ - the list goes on
URL: https://www.hifisystemcomponents.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4239
Printed Date: 19 Apr 2024 at 2:29am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Bi-Wiring speakers
Posted By: LostnAmerica
Subject: Bi-Wiring speakers
Date Posted: 08 Jun 2017 at 8:39pm
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Greetings all! Just a quick question regarding the sonic differences or recommendations with either cabling with quality speaker bi-wires, (1 pair of bananas/spades on amp end and a double set of bananas/spades for the speaker end Or, using a quality set of the bi-wire jumpers? The equipment I will be using is a BC Acoustique ex332D (which only has one pair of speaker terminals)and a pair of (soon to acquire) ProAc Tablette 10's. Thanks for your advice!
Cheers,
Chester
BC Acoustique ex 332D, Cambridge Audio Azur 752BD, Technics SL-DD22, amp (GSC se loaner on the way), Audioquest Rocket 33's
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Replies:
Posted By: Richardl60
Date Posted: 08 Jun 2017 at 9:37pm
Hi, I have used in wired cables for a over 25 years. At the time I found bi-wiring superior (cannot remember the specifics) and when I investigated a cable change 3-5 years ago.
Again I cannot recall the specifics but generally sounded better.
My current cables are constructed with a negative and positive cable which are was split at the speaker end to 4 bananas per speaker.
One thing I do recall was using WBT spades and bananas; when using the spades the bass in particular was thick and heavy which dissapeared when using the Wbt bananas.
I used the spades for the reasons you ellude to - to use two plugs in a single terminal.
One other option could be to have the cable terminated in to a single plug.
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Posted By: LostnAmerica
Date Posted: 09 Jun 2017 at 2:59am
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Thank you Richardl60, any info is useful to me as I am kinda new to this...Curious though, would a bi-wire jumper have the same result full speaker cables? Or wood there be no discernible difference? Thanks for your post and others that possibly might come.
Enjoy the music! Cheers,
Chester
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Posted By: Richardl60
Date Posted: 09 Jun 2017 at 8:44am
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Sorry I haven't tried but suspect not.
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Posted By: Richardl60
Date Posted: 09 Jun 2017 at 8:45am
Posted By: Aussie Mick
Date Posted: 09 Jun 2017 at 10:49am
Hi there,
I've tried various combinations. Using jumpers between terminals has always been the worst sounding option. However, the other options have been very, very close. At the moment I use one single wired run of Spatia speaker cable and then short runs of the same to connect things at the speaker end. This has the advantage of being able to spend your money on the best single wired run you can, having to only fork out for a little bit of cable to hook yourself up.
I've also tried single one end and split at the other, but it was more expensive and I honestly felt there was not a reliably identifiable improvement, or even difference.
Still, as with all these things, your mileage may vary! I'm about to move to a smaller speaker that's single wired. I won't need to think about it anymore!
Mick.
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Rega RP8 - Apheta 2 - Accession MC Enigma PS -Solo ULDE (Focal Utopia) - PS Audio M700 - Fical Kanta No2
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Posted By: LostnAmerica
Date Posted: 09 Jun 2017 at 5:22pm
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Thank you Aussie Mick. Sounds like that is what I will do, single run and small sections (jumpers) of like cabling to match. Thank you again.
Cheers, and happy listening! Chester
LostnAmerica
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Posted By: LostnAmerica
Date Posted: 09 Jun 2017 at 5:24pm
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Excellent idea, I will do that also. Thanks!
Cheers! Chester
LostnAmerica
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Posted By: BackinBlack
Date Posted: 09 Jun 2017 at 7:39pm
Never been a real fan of bi-wiring, so, I'd agree with Mick. Invest in a really good (Spatia comes to mind) single cable rather than bi-wire with links at the speaker (again Spatia comes to mind). In my experience a better solution is to close couple the amps to the speakers. then for some the ultimate solution is probably bi-amping, but that's another story.
Ian
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Just listen, if it sounds good to you, enjoy it.
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Posted By: Aussie Mick
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2017 at 8:15am
Mmm...biamplifying with another pair of Proprii...
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Rega RP8 - Apheta 2 - Accession MC Enigma PS -Solo ULDE (Focal Utopia) - PS Audio M700 - Fical Kanta No2
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Posted By: LostnAmerica
Date Posted: 13 Jun 2017 at 4:47pm
Thanks Aussie Mick, Proprii? Are those cables? Thanks!
I see you are looking for a set of speakers, I will have an extra NIB pair of ProAc Tablette 10 for sale within the next 2-3 weeks, Ebony and Maple. Happy looking, and then listening.
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Posted By: Robnpg
Date Posted: 17 Jun 2020 at 3:01am
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Everything is subjective, but from the research I've done Bi-wiring hasn't gotten a lot of love. However, Bi-Amping seems to get more of a positive response.
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Posted By: lfc jon
Date Posted: 17 Jun 2020 at 10:43am
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Hi Chester A few mouths ago I replaced my cables and I connected a dealer and asked them what to do as far bi wiring and I was told that it was best to spend say £200s on a single cable than to spit it into two and that I would get better sound quality with a single pair of cables at that budget, they said bi amping got better results. Has for jumper cables don't forget to use the same cables you are using to connect your amp to your speakers I have looked into bi wiring in the past and I did not hear any difference between single and bi wiring the speakers I was using at the time Any how I did take the dealers advice and have never looked back
Jonathan
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Reflex M, Solo (both with PSU-1) CuSat50, Lautus, Spatia & Spatia links cables. Ortofon Bronze.
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Posted By: Bi-wire
Date Posted: 17 Jun 2020 at 7:50pm
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I guess it's subjective but what I really want to say is that I think bi-wiring is all smoke and mirrors. That said, I don't really know if it makes a difference. I used to bi-wire (hence my name) using a dedicated bi-wiring cable - ie 2 bananas at the amp end and 4 at the 'speaker end, but about ten years ago changed to a more aesthetically acceptable (to my other half) cable which is single wired and used along with jumpers of the same cable, and I can't tell any difference.
If anything, I suspect that Jonathan's advice above would get my vote.
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Peter
Satisfied user of: Revelation M, PSU1-Enigma, Solo SRGII and lots of CuSat50
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Posted By: jupiterboy
Date Posted: 17 Jun 2020 at 8:59pm
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I'm a bi-wire skeptic because any explanation of why it is better gets pretty fuzzy, and I can usually deal with pretty fuzzy. However, I bi-wire my speakers. Here's why. If I have a nice run of speaker cable, and my speakers have a crossover that truly splits the tweeter from the mid-woofers, then my tweeters get a good bit more wire weight than they need, and I give my mid-woofers only half of the wire weight. I had a nice pair of 11 AWG cables and it was exactly like I describe. What I did was to downgrade my cables (within the same line, using the same technologies that I'd come to appreciate), using a 13 AWG wire for the mid-woofers and a 14 AWG run for the tweeters. Now, as someone will comment, this is odd, but the maker of the wire actually offered two largely identical speaker wires with the same materials and geometry, but two slightly different weights. My tweeters still have more wire than they need, but my mid-woofers have more wire by weight than if I had split the nicer 11 AWG cable. I'm also messing with the crossover a bit by doing this, and in my case I have a super simple cap and coil crossover, so I'm probably changing the voicing just a bit. I was also able to get the cable maker to give me a single termination at the amp end so I didn't have to fuss with spades and bananas or two sets of spades. Anyway, I attribute the sound I like more to the design of the cables than the bi-wire, but I'm happy.
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Posted By: lfc jon
Date Posted: 18 Jun 2020 at 8:35pm
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Hi all If I had gone down the bi wire path and used the 10% that they say you should spend on cables I would have been spending well over £800 on cables as I also got new RCAs at the same time. That is a lot of money for me and that sort of budget I think I would of got better sound spending that on new speakers in the end I went with the dealers advice on cables. AND I'm happy. I spent around £500 in total, that left me with a good budget for new VINYL. That's what HiFi is for (listening) to music (I got 8 new albums) and had a good time listening to them Some times it is about being happy with what you have and not what you think you are missing out on Good listening
Jonathan
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Reflex M, Solo (both with PSU-1) CuSat50, Lautus, Spatia & Spatia links cables. Ortofon Bronze.
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Posted By: Fatmangolf
Date Posted: 02 Jul 2020 at 9:25pm
There is a third option. If you have monobloc amps like the Proprius amplifiers you can have them very close to the left and right speakers. Then the speaker cables are really short (not much longer than the patch leads between the LF and HF speaker terminals) and I'd argue the much shorter cables eliminate most of the case for bi-wire. You will need longer signal cables from your source/preamp to the mono-blocs but these will probably be cheaper than long speaker cables.
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Jon
Open mind and ears whilst owning GSP Genera, Accession M, Accession MC, Elevator EXP, Solo ULDE, Proprius amps, Cusat50 cables, Lautus digital cable, Spatia cables and links, and a Majestic DAC.
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