Vandersteen users; do you biamp?

Vandersteen recommends it in HIS owners manual with the following caveat---"Don't biamp using two cheaper (ie;poorer sounding) amps. It is better to use one amp of high quality than two of lesser."
I biamped my 3A Sigs using a pair of standard McCormack .5's and could definitely hear a difference over a single .5. With my Theta, it is a close call.
Just use a good quality amp and bi-wire. Worry about the biamping stuff later if you want. It isn't needed to get good sound out of the Vandersteen's. Everybody tries to get that last bit of peformance out of equipment which is where I feel biamping lies. It may NEVER be worth it to some folks. Some of us "Audionuts" are "Anal retentive" when it comes to this stuff. I mean, I consider myself in the just idiot class to maybe just a total dumb ass! I mean I spent $5000 for an amp that is, yes, a little better than the $1200 I had in the two McCormack's (used). I have more pristine highs but at a price. It goes back to the old adage, you have to spend a lot of money to realize you didn't need to spend a lot of money.

Matchstikman,bi-wiring is just running 2 seperate cables to each speaker,1 cable will be for the mids and 1 for the bass.So you wind up having 2 cables going to your left speaker mid and bass imputs.and 2 cables going to your right speaker mid and bass inputs.At the amp end you can have the ends of the cable terminated so that it will look like any other cable 1 left spade or banana plug going to the left amp input,and the same for the right amp input.Some people just buy 2 sets of cable and connect them as is ,the perferred way is the former set-up.
Bi-amping is much more involved so if you aren't going to go that route just keep it simple.
I think all of the above posters will agree that Vandersteen is one hell of a speaker for the $,so ask your dealer or better yet just call Vandersteen..He'll be very direct ,no B.S. and of course very helpful...good luck

Matchstikman; just for the record, bi-wiring and bi-amping are NOT the same thing, and I agree with Joeavid's post above. Also, as it's generally used in audio language, using subs is also not considered either bi-amping or bi-wiring.

The Vandersteen manual does strongly recommend bi-wiring and explains well how to do it. Vandersteen also recommends passive bi-amping, but if you're really not "into" this audio stuff, leave bi-amping alone, and as I stated above, the sonic gains are minimal anyway. One GOOD amp is better than two mediocre ones.

Keep it simple man and enjoy the music. If you are going to get Vandersteen speakers, whatever model, please, please, please do yourself a favor and get an appropriate owners manual-- even if you have to pay $5. for one from Vandersteen. Good Luck, and Cheers. Craig

Garfish,this is what Vandersteen says about using the WQ subs" The drivers are connected to a built-in 300 watt amplifier with advanced feed-forward error correction. This powerful amplifier provides the benefits of bi-amplification to the system without the additional expense and complexity of an additional separate amplifier" So technicaly it's NOT bi amping as you say but does provides the benefits...it would be an interesting shootout to try both.

Joe- there really would be no comparison, as the sub provides an additional dimension, in addition to additional amplification. The quote from Richard Vandersteen, is, I am sure, referring to the fact that you will "free up" substantial power from your main amplifier by not having to reproduce the lowest bass notes. If you've ever had an amp with meters and watched them swing in time with the bass line, you will know what I mean.