New ROTEL amps with bi-wiring capability...

[Stevebez]

Ok ... so whats the point of this biwire business... ?

How do the terminals join in the amp chassis? Are they two independantly driven terminals ? I doubt it.

So all that happens is you have a longer space between the amp and the speaker terminals / crossover.

Also how do the terminals work internally in the speaker enclosure ...? does one in fact run to the high end and the other to the low end ...? How does the cross over cater for this ?

I smell a hint of snake oil here - and a fine way for cable manufacturers to sell more cable!!!

I will be happy to try it if someone can explain why its better.

Sorry if this is slightly off Rotel specific topic - but all their new amps cater for biwiring ... why ??

Rgds Steve.

[Aussie Geoff]

Steve,

There are a number of good posts over in the Audio Hideout and Home Theater forums here on the bi-wiring topic- do a search and see...

That asside some net answers:

Bi-wire amp terminals like Rotels are driven off the same output from the amp - they just run the pair of terminals in parallel.

For a speaker to be bi-wirable the crossover needs to be designed for it as two separate ciruits, one for the low frequencies and one for the rest. These ciruits are normally electrically independent but connected using the bars / joing rods on the back of the speaker. Disconnect these bars/ rod and run two separate cables to the two pairs of terminals and effectively the amplified is driving each ciruit in parrallel... With good cables and amps and well designed speakers there is a noticable improvement in clarity.. (wel most people find that!)...

Try and see - I really like it myself

Geoff

[alpina]

does biwiring from the amp do anything to the ohmage of the amp?

how exactly do you make an 8 ohm amp run at 4 ohms or 2 ohms for that matter?

regards,

julie

[Stevebez]

So bi wire would only help in my view if the cross over benefitted by doing so ...

Ill try it ... although I am still sceptical !! :W

Rgds Steve.

[peterS]

does biwiring from the amp do anything to the ohmage of the amp?

how exactly do you make an 8 ohm amp run at 4 ohms or 2 ohms for that matter?

regards,

julie

impedance?
no since a passive crossover is still used
the main benefit is less interference of the high and low frequencies since they go down separate cable runs (also more appropriate gauges can be used)
there is potential for the crossover to preform better but that is debatable
i feel that any noted SQ improvements will be from the previously mentioned points

[peterS]

Ok ... so whats the point of this biwire business... ?

How do the terminals join in the amp chassis? Are they two independantly driven terminals ? I doubt it.

So all that happens is you have a longer space between the amp and the speaker terminals / crossover.

Also how do the terminals work internally in the speaker enclosure ...? does one in fact run to the high end and the other to the low end ...? How does the cross over cater for this ?

I smell a hint of snake oil here - and a fine way for cable manufacturers to sell more cable!!!

I will be happy to try it if someone can explain why its better.

Sorry if this is slightly off Rotel specific topic - but all their new amps cater for biwiring ... why ??

Rgds Steve.

most high end speakers have this capability.... infact some low end speakers have it too
btw rotel amps have had that feature for some time now

[sprout]

Effectively when doing things this way you have not removed the link across the speaker terminals at all, just made it twice the length of the speaker cable run, including the very low extra resistance.

sprout

[Kobus]

the main benefit is less interference of the high and low frequencies since they go down separate cable runs

Not so sure. This is very technical, but the whole frequency range still travels down both runs, only to be partly disregarded by the x-over.

Steve, I am as sceptical as you; bi-amping is a debated subject, so bi-wire ?????

Anyway, one day I will do a proper a/b, until then I will reserve my judgement.


Kobus

[Race Car Driver]

From my understanding with the seperate wires, one for the low woofer and one for the tweet, since the woofer is slower moving then the tweet, when the woofer goes to "stop" movement, it takes longer. So while it "slows" to a stop, it still sends an AC signal through the wire.... and since that wire is seperate from the high freq wire it will help against distortion of the faster moving and stopping tweet.

[bluesfan]

Biwire is a waste of time, bi-amp if anything. Read the research.

[Kal Rubinson]

From my understanding with the seperate wires, one for the low woofer and one for the tweet, since the woofer is slower moving then the tweet, when the woofer goes to "stop" movement, it takes longer. So while it "slows" to a stop, it still sends an AC signal through the wire.... and since that wire is seperate from the high freq wire it will help against distortion of the faster moving and stopping tweet.

Highly speculative but picturesque.

Kal

[miner]

Highly speculative but picturesque.

Kal

Kal,
With your enormous background knowledge of audio gear and testing facility can you please share your thoughts about biwiring speakers that are cable of such hookups.

Miner