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Bi-wired vs Single Termination

Recently upgraded speakers to B&W 804s and want to upgrade speaker cables. B&W has ability to be bi-wired or to use their supplied jumper at the speaker terminals. What is the adjantage of a bi-wired cable vs a single termination and use of B&W jumpers. I am looking at a used set of Volcanos with single banana plugs vs a set of Mont Blanc with bi-wiring. I understand volcano is a "better" cable but all things being equal which configuation is "better". Speakers are not being bi-amped and at this time I do not intend to bi-amp them.
smerlas
audphile1's avatar
audphile1
5,119 posts
 
stick with a well known and reputable brands.
smerlas OP
10 posts
 
OK Big distraction, I ended up with a Musical Fidelity A5 CD player and integrated amp to demo instead of cables.

I stopped by today and returned CD player and integrated and will be refocusing on the cables. I am currenlty watching for used Mont Blanc with bi-wire. I am leaning toward biwired option.
smerlas OP
10 posts
 
Update on speaker cable project. Yes it has now become a project.

Based on a review I found which appeared in "The Absolute Sound" in April/May 2004 in which a number of cables were compared in one review I decided to perform my own test based on a review of a 14ga exterior extension cord reterminated as a speaker cable.

Interesting review for those interested ......... salient points were .......... "some of the most depth of any cable - with tuneful bass, notably good height, and a quite lifelike projection" and of equal importance that you can spend a heck of a lot more for certain brands but with little increase in return.

Ten Brands were compared. I found this while researching the AQ-CV6.

So I headed off to Home Depot and purchased 16-feet of 10ga 4 conductor power cord to make a pair of 8-foot biwired speaker cables. Holy cow (or any other holy object you want to insert) incredible increase in base and clarity over a set of homemade biwire cables made with "Monster" speaker wire.

At this point I am going to let the cables burn in for a while and just enjoy.
rodman99999
6,158 posts
 
I've read the same article a number of times. In fact: It inspired me to go with WireWorld Atlantis 5's for awhile. I now have the Eclipse 5's on my mains(I'm actively bi-amping with a TacT RCS 2.2XP). As inexpensive as the Home Depot extension cord((HD-14G as Paul Seydor dubbed it)is: why not go ahead and try it in the the bi-wire configuration? There's no doubt you will find an audible improvement.
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