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How to horizontally bi-amp Maggies

Am embarrasd since i have been at this Hifi game forever and for 6 years (tried) to answer questions while slinging B&W,Krell,McIntosh etc.People would ask about why thier were bi-ampo/bi-wire posts but I doubt many folks went for more than bi-wirring and never got another customer copme in for second amp or called on how to set one up. but still confused about bi-amping horizontally.Vertically it's no secret.Need a mono conversion switch and viola.But if you have matching amps and want to use both (which I have read sounds better since ,especially if cut off ny x-over or even on line low/high pass filters speakers sound better since they only have to work on limited frequency.I know that you pay penalty and get 150% not double the power (or more) with vertical bi-amping.I have heard one is able to just take say an integrated amp and if company puts out matching amp you can just use splitter to send sound full range (as one post put it) to speakers (though again one could use low and high pass filters that attach to speaker cables).But when I called Maggie they told me I'd need to use a crossover either one they used to make a little cheap plastic box or spend something and get tube Marchand or well known Bryston or others.So which situation is it?I have read where some use solid state on bottom and less powerfull tubes on top of a two or three way speaker and can't wrapp my head around that unless you adjust input sensitivity of more powerfull amp.Or use and amp balancer?But let's keep it simple.Why was one person planning to get over achieving VTL85 tube intergrated and mate it with and identical power amp they make and someone posted they'd need a crossover (as in another case when I called maggie insisted one was needed) and another respondent said no just use spliter and attach appropriate wires for each speaker.So which is it?
I've put up another post but maybe folks fell asleep before it's end but hopping one day to get some help here.
Thanks
Chazzbo
chazzbo
jeffreybehr's avatar
jeffreybehr
805 posts
 
"Vertically it's no secret.(sic)Need a mono conversion switch and viola." Huh? One does NOT need a 'mono conversion switch', whatever that is, to biamp vertically. One merely needs a couple 1-to-2 Y-adapters to get the same signal to both channels of each amp. One connects 2 speakercables to each speaker, and you're now vertically biamping.

Horizontal biamping uses 2 stereo amps with one driving the 2 bass ends of the speakers and the other amp driving the MR/treble ends of the speakers. One needs a gain control on the more-sensitive amp (and that's 1-Watt sensitivity, not full-output sensitivity), or the balance of lower and higher frequencies will be wrong. The easiest way to deal with crossovers is to use those already in the speakers, and this is called passive biamping or filtering. Using active (i.e. line-level) crossovers and bypassing the speakers' crossovers is called active biamping or filtering. There are positives and negatives to both and fans of both, some quite vocal. Both work and both will gain the advantage of being able to use amps that are better suited to the frequencies assigned.
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douglas_schroeder
3,281 posts
 
You're confusing active/passive biamping with vertical and horizontal biamping. Easy to do!
I would do a search on the net or the asylum for "passive active biamping" and "vertical horizontal biamping" and you'll probably get more info than you need.

Quick primer: active biamping uses an outboard crossover system between the pre and amp(s) to send only certain frequencies to certain drivers. Passive biamping uses multiple amps to send full signal to certain speaker drivers. People futz with combining ss and tube amps to different drivers...

Two kinds of Passive biamping: Vertical/Horizontal
For vertical, think of an imaginary line drawn down the middle of the system; the right amp sends it's two channels to the right speaker's two inputs (or 3 channels to three inputs, etc.). In Horizontal biamping, put the imaginary line through the middle of the amps; half of the two amps' channels goes to bass on both speakers, the other half goes to treble on both speakers.

I have not tried active biapming, but many rave about it. I have tried vertical as well as horizontal passive biamping. Over the years, I have found that moving to a more powerful, refined amp has been of more improvement than chasing biamping passively. FYI, I have also found that a higher end, more refined speaker with only one set of inputs (single wired) can sound far better than many lesser biwirable/biampable speakers.

Finally, it is well worth time to consider monobloc operation. I feel I have close to the ultimate setup in terms of simplicity and power by using twin tube hybrid integrated amps in bridged/monobloc mode. This has yielded the best sound for me. I am surprised more people do not do so.
chazzbo OP
1,007 posts
 
Thanks for help.I am late in following up your answeres thinking I could get chance to call magie again and ask why they said active unit was required (and if so why did they stop selling the litle XL1 (?) unit that goes for $75-150 used as opposed to expensive models I mentioned.But didn't get a chance.If I remember I will do so.
Cheers
Chazz
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