VSA VR-4: problem with midrange drivers

My concern was that perhaps the drivers in the top module weren't capable of handling that much power alone.

To clarify my previous comments a little further, the mid/hi speaker drivers will see exactly the same amount of power when bi-amped as when the speakers are single-amped, assuming identical volume levels.

The voltage at the output of the amp channel driving the mid/hi section will be the same as at the output of the amp channel driving the low frequency section (at least in the case of a typical solid state amp having low output impedance), and will also be the same as for a single-amp configuration.

The current flowing into the mid/hi section as a result of that voltage will be limited by the speaker's crossover so as to correspond only to the mid/hi frequency content of the music, just as would occur in single-amp configuration. Therefore the power delivered by the amp to the mid/hi section, being proportional to voltage x current, will not change as a result of bi-amping.

The bi-amp configuration will, of course, make life somewhat easier for the amps, by reducing the amount of current and power that must be supplied by each amp channel (since each channel will only be powering one section of a speaker rather than both).

Re your last post, yes for vertical bi-amping the left channel output of the preamp should go to both channels of the left power amp, and the right channel output of the preamp should go to both channels of the right power amp.

Regards,
-- Al

Thanks,Al. I have rewired and am now in vertical bi-amping mode. I'm about to sit down and listen. So...if there is a problem with one of my amps ( the clipping previously noted) I should now only experience it from the channel that that amp is driving.
I guess that I'm hoping that if I still have that issue, it's an easier fix than anything else. It seems to me, that these speakers ( drivers ) should be able to handle the volume that I'm throwing at them. My pre is a Audio Research LS3b and again, the clipping/distortion occurs when I have the gain control up around the 11:00 position. My previous speakers were B&W 704's which were also biamped, and while they didn't sound entirely great at that volume, I never noticed a similar issue...
Paul

as for interconnects - you can run one IC to each amp and use a Y splitter at the amp, or you can use the Y splitter at the preamp (or if your pre has 2 outputs use those) and run 2 IC's to each amp. My IC's are long so I do the former using some good quality Audioquest splitters. I have my amps sitting next to my speakers so I can have short speaker cables

If you're brave, you can also open up your amp and solder a short jumper between the + terminals of the 2 RCA connectors, but then you need to be careful to remove it before you use the amp for stereo again. This may have an advantage technically over splitters and double IC's. This isn't something I was comfortable with though.

I'm not sure how loud the VR's will play and have never put a db meter on mine, but mine will play louder than I'm comfortable listening at . . . this I know.

So...after some listening I have determined that the culprit is one of my B&K amps. Having succesfully vertically biamped the speakers, using the amp that had originally been powering the mid/hi module, for the left channel...the clipping distortion was present in that left channel. The right channel, with the other amp, seems to be fine.
I have a friend here who will be taking a look at the amp to see what might be going on...
And, yes the vertical rather than horizontal biamping set-up gives me better seperation and perhaps a bit more clarity.