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Which amp to Bi-amp my Maggie 20.1

I am considering bi-amping my Maggie 20.1s’ I have two amps, one has 1,000 watts into 4 Ohms and the other has 500 into 4 Ohms (both ICE amps). The Maggies are 4 Ohm speakers. I will be bypassing the low pass crossovers with an active crossover at 130 Hz. 15 dB/oct., but I will be sending a full range signal into the mid / upper crossovers to power the upper half. My question is should I use the 500 watt on the bass panel and the 1,000 to the upper so that I won’t risk clipping into the mids and tweeter? I don’t think clipping will damage the bass panels. Please don’t think I going to “blast” the sound at killer high volumes, the amps my never clip, it’s just that the Maggies are very inefficient. Also since I am bypassing the low crossovers doesn’t that make the bass panel easier to drive? So anyway please give me your opinions and reasoning over which amp goes where? Thanks.
koestner
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,464 posts
 
Try it one way, then switch, then keep switching until you can decide which sounds better to you.

I'm curious if there is much difference, i would expect either ice amp has the power and juice to handle either task very well.

My guess is that there is a significant difference, it will work better with the bigger amp on the low end.

But it really sounds like a win/win scenario to me regardless.
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audiokinesis
2,751 posts
 
With a 130 Hz crossover point, I'd put the big amps on the upper frequency section. Not only will the upper frequency panels require more power on most music, but also clipping up there will be more audible than clipping on the bass panels.

Duke
peter_s
1,348 posts
 
While I am in the process of selling my 20.1's due to a room too small, I tried a lot of amps, and my experience (and that of Bea at VTL) is to use the more powerful amp for the mids/highs. That is where you really want to get the sharpest dynamics and not have it poop out.
chadeffect
586 posts
 
I would be surprised if you got clipping from those kind of powerful amps with the maggie. Unless you are really punishing the maggies with very high SPLs and popping fuses all the time. I would have thought the bass panel would start rattling as it hits the magnets long before those amps give up.

My only reasoning for putting the 1000w on the highs and mids would be because the 1000w ICE board is a better sounding amp. Otherwise I would use more power on the bass.

Having said that, just plug them in a see which way you feel sounds better!

Good luck.
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