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Bi-amping speakers - Vertical or Horizontal

I'm trying to get more out of my ProAc 2.5s and am thinking about bi-amping as their x-over would allow this. I'm using a 300B amp from Air Tight and need advice as to what other amp I could use. I'd like to stick with SET but can see where push/pull would also work. I once tried this with 2A3 mono-blocks on the tweeter and a 25wt OTL on the woofers. Got too complicated (Cary amps with all those switches, I know...I'm lazy!). I'd like advice also as to whether I should try vertical bi-amping (two stereo amps, one on each speaker) and woder if anyone has tried this vs. one amp driving the tweeters of both speakers and one amp driving the woofers.
tomryan
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ivanj
35 posts
 
I have nothing to add except I am glad that Clueless is back - missed ya'
egoss
124 posts
 
I firmly believe the ONLY good multiple amp situation is identically matched amps vertically bi-amped - and bi-wired. They should be as close as possible - same brand & model, with serial numbers closely matched. Any other method introduces the possibilty - no, make that the certainty - of timing errors. Tonality, rythym, and dynamics will suffer. I'm sure some people think they've heard good horizontal bi-amping, but did they ever try the same setup the other way 'round?

In a monoblock mood....
Ed.
tomryan OP
796 posts
 
Ed...I'm not sure I understand how timing errors could occur if, say, I use a 25-35wt P/P or SET amp on the woofers and a 2-8wt SET on the tweeters. Does it matter that I am listening pretty much in the nearfield, or are you not talking about acoustic timing problems? How could there be electronic timing errors from such a set up?
billhansen
9 posts
 
I'm vertical with MAC 7270 left and 7300 right on Snell XA90's. Left is 6' and right is 20' with top-line balanced MIT 750 Pro interconnect. MAC's are nice because I can control the Left (tweeters and mid's) and bass separately. I use different volume setting on CD vs DVD due to speaker set-up (as above - ahem, decorating problem).
ebonyvette
18 posts
 
There is a great article by Greg Weaver of Soundstage that explains the pros and cons of vertical vs horizontal.

http://www.soundstage.com/synergize/synergize031998.htm
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