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watts per channel when biamping

I am going to purchase a second amp and biamp. I now have 100 watts per channel at 8 ohms and 200 watts at 4 ohms. The way i understand it it will be 200 watts when biamped. If the other amp is 100 watt at 8 ohms and 200 watts at 4 ohms, will I actually now be going to 400 watts since it is 200 watts for both amps at 4 ohms or will it be 200 watts. Thanks for any help.
dbriana
dbriana OP
5 posts
 
So i can't do a horizontal biamp without using a crossover if they are different brand amps? I am driving B&W Matrix 801. thanks
newbee
4,768 posts
 
Yep - at a minimum you have to match the levels of the two amps output. Note in the amps spec's the input sensitivity level - if they are different, as is usually the case, you will be, in effect, creating an imbalance between the highs and lows if you don't use a crossover.
marakanetz's avatar
marakanetz
5,473 posts
 
I biamp with completely different amps with no external crossover.
For bottom end I use Sunfire Symphonic Ref and for the top end I use VTL MB100.
VTL has sensitivity 30% larger than Sunfire but Sunfire has substantially(20%) larger gain than VTL.
I use for that purpose balanced line converter with adjustable levels thus taming the gain of Sunfire to reach tonal balance with VTL.
Ratings of Sunfire is 250W/8Ohms and 500W/4Ohms
Ratings of VTL is 120W/8 and 4Ohms.
Since I tame the gain of Sunfire by approximately 10%(taking onto consideration an input sencitivity difference),
I can assume that the output power of Sunfire is decreased accordingly(may not be exactly precise) so the total output power figures approximately 345W/8Ohms and 570W/4Ohms.

Please note that I wasn't willing to perform a precise calculations and adjusted the levels of amps by ear through playing my reference recordings with voice, piano, orchestra and instrumentals.

Sounds terrific!
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