Bi-Amping or Bi-Wiring

[Bradley Thornton]

OK this is what I have the question is should I and The big question is how.

AMP

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Denon---400W-5.1-Ch.-3D-Pass-Through-A/V-Home-Theater-Receiver/4837722.p?id=1218540191750&skuId=4837722

Floor the ones I would Bi-Amp

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Klipsch+-+Icon+Dual+8%22+2-Way+Floor+Speaker+(Each)/2138273.p?id=1218310758886&skuId=2138273

SUB

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Klipsch+-+10%22+450W+Powered+Subwoofer/9502488.p?id=1218115619909&skuId=9502488

Center

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Klipsch+-+Icon+5-1/4%22+Center+Speaker/2138079.p?id=1218310760241&skuId=2138079

The Guy at bestbuy told me I should Bi-Amp but I don't know how. Read a few topics on it and many say its not worth it what do you think.

Also may add ceiling speakers later. Bluetooth

[jk13]

Bi-amping in home would be running one amp to the horn on those speakers and another to the woofers. If you look at the back of the speaker cabinet there are probably two sets of binding posts with removable buss bars between them. Not necessary unless absolute sound quality is the goal, in which case you'd be looking at different equipment. That's good stuff don't get me wrong but not to the level that you'd need or want to bi-amp.

You would need another amp to bi-amp--and that's not an amp, it's an A/V receiver.

Not worth it with that gear. If you were using separate source units and amps like you do in your boat, you might hear a difference. But you'd be far deeper into it money-wise.

[Earmark Marine]

Bradley,

You must bi-amp in that set-up which is typical of a 5.1 AV system.

The receiver has five internal amplifier channels to drive passive speakers including left & right front, center, and left and right rear.

The receiver has no power to drive the subwoofer.

The receiver has an RCA out to drive the subwoofer which has a self-contained amplifier.

That seems like the norm.

David

[Earmark Marine]

I totally agree with the comments by jk13. We are just speaking to different issues with slightly different definitions. Hard to tell what the guy from Best Buy was actually recommending.

David

[Slyexe]

Dang, those are really expensive speakers... but I guess company have to make money some how. If I were you, I would recommend going to an actual home theatre company. You will get way better quality speakers and much more guidance into a system at probably a relative same price.

I mean, I use to work for a home theater company and I can say a lot of brand names are just influenced by the mass amount of advertising and big retail stores having their product. One that comes to mind is Bose, probably one of the MOST over rated piece of crap speakers I've had to deal with. What I'm trying to say is, you will find much better products working with an actual company that does this for a living over going to a big chain retail store.

Some brands I recommend but probably might be quite expensive for retail (seeing how I received everything at cost lol)

Triad Speakers

JBL Audio

Otherwise if you are buying a 5.1 amp, there is no need for anything else but the single amp, speakers, and a powered sub. Oh besides wiring :P

[robtr8]

Bi-amp or tri-amp is one channel of amplification for each driver. Tweeter gets a channel, mid-bass gets a channel, etc. Each channel gets it's own set of speaker cables. Bi-wire is coming off the receiver with the wires bound to a common post and then bound to separate posts on the speaker. The receiver you showed can't bi-amp but could bi-wire. The maximum benefit is to the sales man who sells you more wire.

There is one situation where this is beneficial. If your system is running "active" crossovers/processing then you have to run seperate conductors. The one your showing is using the passive crossovers inside the speaker cabinets. No benefit to multiple wires at all.

If all you need is a 5.1, check out the Marantz NR 1603. Same parent company as Dennon but little bit better just about everything plus Airplay. You can also get vastly superior speakers by buying used from Audiogon.com. You'll pay 1/2 of retail and get speakers that are already broken in (which is actually a good thing).

[Bradley Thornton]

Sorry had to take the little one to gymnastics so only had a little time.

This is what I want to know

My amp is 5.1 I am only using 3.1 so should I Remove the buss bars between two sets of binding posts the floor speakers.

So on my amp it says Front, Center, and Surround

A--Should I Do center on center Front on Sides with buss bar in.

B--Should I do center on center Front (With buss bar removed) on 2 of the binding post one on left and one on right. Then the Surround put the other left and right.

I would add the buss bar back when I get me some rear speakers (bluetooth) and go with A down the road.

so A or B If it is B I know it is only till I get some rear speakers.

[jk13]

A.

Leave the rear speaker outputs disconnected for now. The processing in an A/V receiver will put different information out of the front and rear outputs, so you may end up hurting your sound more than the extra power and headroom would help it.

[Earmark Marine]

Passive bi-amping a floor-standing speaker can have a sonic benefit. Each amplifier is delivering a narrower power bandwidth similar to using an active crossover. The more white space you have in any signal the cleaner and more dynamic that power will become.

If it was a two-channel music system there might be a little more merit to it. But in a AV application with a sub, I'm just not feeling it.

And with a video soundtrack the rear outputs from the receiver are likely to be playing a different signal. It might work if the receiver has a music mode where all front and rear channel are in broadband stereo and you stay in that mode.

David

[Bradley Thornton]

I was thinking that but just wanted to make sure. I had already wired it up the A way. Thanks again

[robtr8]

Now that you mention it, I vaguely remember that you can use the surround channels for bi-amping or a second zone. Still dubious.