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Bi-amping or Mono Block amps

To all,

Would you guys help explain which should give better two channel sound: bi-amping or using a pair of mono block amps? Let's say a decision is to be made between a pair of Parasound A21 or a pair of JC 1 mono blocks along with JC 2 preamp and Paradigm Studio 100's v5.

Thanks you all!
ibhack
kr4's avatar
kr4
3,677 posts
 
You'll get more power/headroom out of a monobloc than from a biamped pair whose individual outputs are 1/2. Better sound? That has more to do with the performance of the individual amps and their suitability to the speaker load than with their configuration.

Kal
dusty
60 posts
 
Not familiar with the speaker but I did try both monoblocks and bi-amping with my speakers (Maggie 3.6R) and I thought bi-amping was a noticeable improvement. Bi-amping allows the amps to drive the speaker elements directly as opposed to dealing with the speaker's internal crossover.
kr4's avatar
kr4
3,677 posts
 
Dusty,

If you remove the speaker's internal crossover and build/buy an active network customized for the particular speaker, then I am in total agreement with you. Unfortunately, that is rarely the default meaning of bi-amping in the audiophile world.

Kal
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