alternate method of bi-wiring


does using 2 identical cables of the same length duplicate the advantages of b-wire? I am looking for new speaker cables and would prefer to have the option to use the cables separetly in the future for non bi-wire aplications. the only disadvantage of this route as I see it is having to purchase (1) extra set of terminators.

thanks for your input,
Paul
pmwoodward
Does everyone here bi-wire their speakers?

I think I am the only one that doesn't bi-wire around here.

I just got some Goertz silver jumpers. These jumpers are solid silver and 10 mm thick. Hmm...... they sound better than bi-wire in my system.
Viggen, My comment to you about not bi-wiring is better comes from earlier posts by others. Unless you tried a double run of the cable you are using for a single, against the jumpers, I am not surprised you may find the jumpers better. Probably in all cases, the stock jumper should be trashed in favor of what you are doing.


A cheaper (or different) bi-wire cable will not always perform as well as a better single cable, for the reason the single cable is just better, not because of bi-wiring.

I guess you would need a double run or a bi-wire version of the same cables to do a good comparison. B&W actually recommends bi-wiring with their speakers.

I have been biwiring for at least 10 years;still don't have the terminalogy lingo down.Most all that time I had 2 complete sets of wires. --Doubled up on the amp posts. EACH and EVERY time I started with run and jumpers; EACH and EVERY time the improvemnts ,adding the second run were huge. --This applies to using Analysis jumpers, before adding the second run, as well. And yes a quality single run with jumpers,betters less quality bi wires.
When I was not bi-wiring, I pulled my stock jumpers off and replaced it with decent cable. Of course I had better sound that way. I guess my rule of thumb for jumpers is this: Buy the speaker best speaker cable you can afford, then buy two feet of the next step up in the line to use as jumpers.
Here's the way I know it.

Single bi-wire: Each stereo set has two cables. Each cable has one + and one - termination at the amp end and two +'s and two -'s at the speaker end.

True bi-wire: This is a standard stereo pair of speaker cables X two. Two completely individual sets of stereo speaker cables. I use this method as it offers the convenience of versatility whether it be changing the speakers or the cables themselves.

Shotgun: Two runs of cable instead of one.

Shotgun bi-wire: First, look at this pic: http://www.virtualdynamics.ca/referencespeakerlarge.jpg

Each cable run has one terminal end at the amp and two at the speaker and each run consists of 4 cables (or wires), with 2 of the cables going to each speaker termination. For a complete stereo set of speaker cables this means four sets of shotgun bi-wire cables with a grand total of 16 runs of cable. I tried this once & it choked the soundstage. I asked a very knowledgeable cable designer/manufacturer about this & asked if that meant too much capacitance or inductance? He said could be either or both. Anybody care to comment?

OK, I'm done, and I prefer Sharp Cheddar W/Port Wine.