Is Bi - amping worth the trouble?

Quite honestly, i'm surprised that nobody has done anything like this

Sean, FM Acoustics does this -- but for tis own products.

As you note, the designer hasn't published anything on this.

BUT, if you buy a complete system from FM (i.e. electronics + cables), that whole transmission line is optimised.

You can even buy speakers (made by someone else ASAIK) similarly "optimised" for the FM amp + spkr wire used. HOWEVER, I understand that the recommended solution is active multiamping... of course, one can order the spkrs with a passive xover in which case the spkr cable supplied is different (obviously).

So, the transmission line is purportedly optimised starting at the source output cable. Since FM's preamps allow some variability in their input impedance, this line can be tweaked soemwhat further upstream.

One snag is, the wires must be specific in lengths (apparently a small variability is OK). Another is the cost -- $~+10-15k per component: this may not look ruinous for some, but for a vinyl addict doing the simple maths, it adds up: Pre + phono+power amp = $+~40k. The cost of cables is minimal apparently:)
Oh yes, I forgot: you also need spkrs...

Oh yes: I actually listened to such a system, vinyl source -- with different spkrs. Admittedly, impressive, very impressive.

"Why not put all the money In a ecxellent stereo amplifier, instead of several lesser units with signal degrading from external crossover units."

First of all it is my impression that there are no Excellent stereo amps, excellent would apply only to mono amps...
What would a lesser or excelent amp be?
An excellent amp with 8 tubes per side on push pull? Thats a lot of tubes, and they do sound like it...IMNSHO a pair of pushpull tubes is best smaller is better then.
Also you get more power supplies with 4 monoblocks that with one stereo amp. I have even seen diagrams (and almost tried one) of one amplifier with a power supply per stage of amplification....that would make it 8 power supplies against...well one.

What we are also trying to avoid is the internal Speaker Xover and use line level XO inside each amp....cool!!

Do Bi-amp

Getting in a little late on this one, and, I have not read every thread in response so apologies in advance for any redundancy.

I am a big believer in byamping, have been for quite some time, in my opinion, it must be done using an active crossover. I have tried using a passive crossover and I think the gains are not worth the expense. It is quite a bit more expensive going with an active crossover over a passive crossover. You will need two amps, two sets of interconnect, three power cords (one for the mid/base amp, one for the tweeter amp and one for the crossover), an active crossover (all active crossovers have gain controls for the top and bottom, at least I have not seen one without) and two sets of speaker cable. The results are quite impressive. Going in this direction one can than pick amps that suit his/her taste. SET on the top for the sweetness of a SET, SS on the bottom for the dynamics, weight and overall slam, or SET on the top and SET on the bottom, etc, etc.

When using an active crossover you will have to run your speaker cable from your outboard crossover directly to the individual drivers of the speaker. You will be bypassing the internal crossover within the speaker. You can't just hook up to the binding posts on the back of your speakers because you would not be bypassing the internal crossover.

I have found, as so many have referred to the blacks, the blacks are blacker, and the noise floor is lowered beyond belief. Each artist is positioned and stands alone without competition from others or movement. Each artist has his/her space; even on coral pieces there is depth and width without haze. The highs are so clear, a brush on a snare, one can count the number of bristles, obviously an exaggeration but I can hear various bristles making contact, shocking.

I am sure that there are many who will say the expense is not worth the return and to many that is true. For me, I will not be going back to a single amp to reproduce the whole frequency range running through a passive internal crossover anytime soon. Good luck with whatever you decide to do…………Bob

Bmotorcycle: This is one of those things that people won't / can't understand until they experience it for themselves. After doing that, they can't believe they wasted all of that time before stumbling upon this "aural revelation". As i've called it before, "direct drive" i.e. amplifier to speaker cable directly to the raw speaker driver is the real deal. Sean
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10-25-06: Sean
Perfectionist: Given the fact that you're using mono-blocks, you wouldn't be vertically or horizontally bi-amping. You would simply be bi-amping with mono-blocks.

Hmm, I guess I'm not fully understanding then. But I decided to pass on it anyway. I'm very happy with my system and don't want to screw it up. But I am patiently awaiting the arrival of an XPS2 to compliment my CDX2 :-)