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If bi-amping is so great, why do some high end speakers not support it?

I’m sure a number of you have much more technical knowledge than I. so I’m wondering: a lot of people stress the value of bi-amping. My speakers (B&W CM9, and Monitor Audio PL100II) both offer the option. I use it on the Monitors, and I think it helps.

But I’ve noticed many speakers upward of $5k, and some more than $50k (e.g., some of Magico) aren’t set up for it.

Am I missing something? Or is this just one of the issues on which there are very different opinions with no way to settle the disagreement?

Thanks folks…


128x128rsgottlieb
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,505 posts
 

There are sonic benefits to be gained by getting rid of the speaker-level crossover in a loudspeaker, instead filtering the signal before the power amps, the amps then powering the drivers directly. That requires the speaker be designed to be used in such a fashion, with the line-level crossover duplicating the standard speaker-level one, with no compensation networks for the drivers.

Bi-amping was recommended (by both Magnepan and their original distributor, ARC) for the pre-series .7 Magneplanars. The series .7 Maggies can not be bi-amped, for two reasons: The necessary speaker cable connectors are not present, and, more importantly, the series .7 crossovers are of series design, unlike those used in the pre-series .7 Maggies, which does not allow a simple "textbook" (1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th order filters) crossover.

randy-11
1,913 posts
 
Biamping offers significant SQ improvements at the cost of more amps - usually the transformer is a big cost, beyond the engineering and QC.

Some speaker manfs. do not want you messing up their carefully designed cross-overs; others may worry you will not spend the $$ for multiple quality amps; and others have a narrow focus on drivers, etc. while missing the big picture.

The trend now is for manf.s to build quality class D amps into their speakers and design the amp to optimize each driver.  Meridian was a pioneer in that and in sending a digital signal as far down the listening chain as possible.
gs5556
1,218 posts
 
Because a truly bi-amped speaker does not need a crossover. The signal is split prior to the amplifiers.

What manufacturer is going to limit his market by forcing buyers to purchase and extra set of amps and an active crossover?  


arh
366 posts
 
Kenny
I biamp Maggie 3.6's with a pair of David Berning ZH270 Amps
Alan
kdude66
1,200 posts
 
Alan,

I could see benefits with that pairing in a biamp configuration,

I haven't owned Maggie's for about 7 yrs and the speakers from then to now would'nt have benefited a biamp configuration,all high efficiency.

Now when you bring up the configuration of active biamping and not using the passive crossovers in a speaker that's a completely different way to go and without question is a game changer.But with greater cost and complexity.


Kenny.
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