2. amps-preamps
  3. 162171-110508

Do I need bi amping?

Hello guys

I have a pair of power amps, one Line Magnetic LM-508 (300B-805 tube my favorite) and one Hypex NC500 class D.

I'm using today the tube amp, wich has more than enough power to drive my speakers at every volume level possible and the class D amp is in a closet.

As I have both amps and my speakers accept bi amping, I was wondering to try it out, using the tube amp for highs-mids and the class D amp for lows. 

Would you recomend bi amping? Have you tried it? 

I listen to all of my music streaming Tidal and my 2.2 system today sounds superb for me (I've heard some much more expensive ones sounding much worse). I also have pretty good hi end gear for the money and paid attention to every detail I could: AC dedicated line, AC filtering, cables, audiophile switch, digital signal processing, antivibration tweaks, speakers and subwoofers positioning, upgraded caps and resistors on my tube amp, better tubes, etc etc. I'm not looking for extra power, just better sound.

By the way, my Audio-gd Master 1 has RCA and XLR outputs to drive boths amps, but thr only caveat is that I need to match the gain of the outputs as they are different. 

If I do it right, would I get better sound?
plga
georgehifi's avatar
georgehifi
10,312 posts
 
If I connect one amp to the high frequencies binding posts and one to the low frequencies binding posts of the speakers, and both amps are "feeding" a full range signal, I believe it won’t damage the speakers as their crossover is filtering the full range signal to what's needed for each specific driver.
I mean, it will relieve the amps from amplifying the whole signal, but it won’t damage the speakers. Am I correct?
Correct, no damage to the speaker or amp/s, and the amp will only see the load of that driver and it's xover components, less taxing for each of the amps, all better all round for everything. But you will need the $49 Sys on the louder of the two amps to make them both equal.

Cheers George
plga OP
184 posts
 
Thank you. Clear as water
oldhvymec
5,101 posts
 
Hello OP, you have options here. BUT maybe read the END of my post first..:-) 

Plug the Class D into a passive preamp or the Schiit (I haven't use the Schiit). That is a high crossover point. DON'T plug your Valve amp into anything BUT the HF on board crossover of the speaker. Nothing else.
They may seem to sound better/worse, be patient, let EVERYTHING settle.
  
2.5K and down WILL benefit from a separate tone control, The Schiit if it has an EQ that would really be nice add a little bump in the mids and volume control.

That is what I do. I use a Behringer product (2496). I control everything from 300hz down with full blown DSP/Servo.  300hz UP, onboard OX of the speaker is perfect.

END:

Don't be surprised though, something about valves and you said it yourself.

"my 2.2 system today sounds superb for me (I've heard some much more expensive ones sounding much worse)".

250 hz to 2.5K that is THE sweet spot for me, child of the 60-70s
If you can live without "sugar sweet" valve doing mids..
I can for the summer months. I also can't wait for fall, right NOW...to change back to valves, though...

Just sayin'

Regards
plga OP
184 posts
 
Thank you. Very good info.

I guess I will try it because I have the class D amp at hand and my speakers accept biamping. 

Just for fun, but I don't have high hopes. Valves are valves!
lloydc's avatar
lloydc
752 posts
 
@ oldhvymec, do I correctly understand that you digitize and control everything from 300hz on down w/ Behringer 2496, and run a tube amp straight into the tweeter input?
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