2. amps-preamps
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Bi Amping... worth it?

I'm not really sure how much of a difference bi amping would make in my system:

--Aerius i (there are two sets of speaker posts on the back... )
--VTL IT 85

the review in stereophile said that biamping really opened up the sound. But I don't really listen to my music that loud... I mean, it's loud for me! but i have yet to turn the volume dial past midnight....

bi amping with the IT 85 is easy though, and if i found a used ST 85 (which is already matched to be used with the IT 85... i wouldn't need a crossover?), it could be a cheap <1K upgrade.

i could spend that much on cables!
128x128dennis_the_menace
treyhoss
287 posts
 
Thanks for the response! I will check both avenues out!
dlwask
270 posts
 
I gave up trying to find some "high-end" y-adaptors for my RCAs. I went ahead and bought the Monster Y-adaptors just to try them out thinking I would upgrade later. I am currently using Wireworld Atlantis III+ interconnects to the y-adaptors from my pre-amp to amp for passive bi-amping. Did not notice any negative effects and have yet to consider replacing them.
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
I have been biamping for almost 50 years. At one point the second amp came in handy to quickly try out this new fangled "stereo" thing! Although I am still biamped on all five channels some of the reasons for it have diminished.
1. Back when good HI FI amplifiers were rated at ten to twenty watts the extra headroom for the HI signal created by not having it ride on the LO signal was significant.
2. Intermodulation distortion used to run 1 percent or so. Separating the HI and LO signals helped this.
3. Electronic crossovers have virtually no distortion, and can be very exactly set as to frequency and rolloff rate. Also, when you look at the cost of audiophile capacitors and large-wire air core inductors, the electronic crossover hardware is cheap.
Reasons 1 and 2 no longer apply, but reason 3 is still valid.
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