Biamping with very different amps

Biamping with very different amps

I’m considering biamping the HF/MF units of KEF Reference 107/2s with a pair of Cary CAD 572SE monoblocks and the LF with a pair of Parasound JC 1 monoblocks. Does that seem a crazy idea?

No not crazy, sweetness of the tubes for mids and highs, and control for the bass with the jc1’s.
If your passive biamping which it sound as what you are doing, both amps would have to be exactly the same gain, which is near impossible unless the same brand of amps.

But this is an easy fix, the louder of the two amps just needs a passive volume control on it’s input to bring it down to the same level as the other amp, once that is set, the main volume is then done by your main preamp or source volume

Easiest way is to get a Schiit Sys $49 passive volume control.
http://www.schiit.com/products/sys

Cheers George

You really need an active crossover to split the signal into high and low pass outputs to drive the bass and mid/high amps! An active crossover will allow you to set the roll-off slopes (not doeable with passive) and levels for the best sound! Been there, done that!

roberjermanYou really need an active crossover to split the signal into high and low pass outputs to drive the bass and mid/high amps! An active crossover will allow you to set the roll-off slopes (not doeable with passive) and levels for the best sound! Been there, done that!

To do that successfully with an active xover, he would also have to completely by-pass the internal xovers inside his Kefs, way too much work.

No, passive by-amping will be fine, as those Kefs have a very well thought out quality passive xover network, with for memory conjugate matching circuitry as well.

Cheers George

Thank you George! You are correct in this matter!