bi-amping RB-1080 with 110w speakers

[seteven100]

hi

i have an RB-1080 that powers my tannoy sensys 2 speakers

im considering buying another RB-1080 so i can power each speaker with its own amp.

my question is, will giving each speaker a RB-1080, blow my speakers? will it be too much wattage? my speakers are---110 RMS continuous power handling, 325 peak power handling ...

just another question. ive heard that the RB-1080 actually has a higher rating than 200w. ive been told not to go passed 10oclock . will i have to go passed the 10oclock to get the maximum level? can i actually go passed the 10oclock?

[htsteve]

seteven100,

First off, I have a question. Why to you want to bi-amp your speakers. Is there something about them you don't like (i.e. not loud enough, want better bass, etc.). That may help in figuring out the best solution.

Are the speakers hard to dirve? Do they have low impedance (I've only seen that it is an 8 ohm speaker. Maybe it's actually lower in real life)? Also, how big a room are these in?

Also, are you biwiring the speakers? Are they on stands? These tend to improve the performace nicely without spending a lot of money.

I've owned a 1080. It drove a B&W N804, a robust speaker that loves current. The 1080 did a very nice job. The specs on the sensys 2's suggest that the 1080 should drive it nicely. The 1080 has lots of power.

Rotel tends to be conservative in their power ratings. I had a 1095 amp rated at 200 wpc. Actual output was round 235 wpc as I recall.

Finally, have good much good power is not an issue. Underpowering speakers is where you drastically affect performance and can damae the drivers. Rotel amps are quite good. So, 200 watss of a 1080 will drive most speakers very well.


Hope this helps.

[seteven100]

hey thanks for your thoughts

i need more bass and basically i wont a really load set up. the set up is in a medium size room.

i know the rb-1080 runs the 110w speakers nicely, im just worried that if i bi-amp them, the wattage may be too high. from my memory, if i bi-amp the rotel, the wattage jumps considerably, like 300w a side?.

im basically asking, if i dedicate one rotel to each speaker, will it blow the speakers?

[seteven100]

my speakers are 8 ohms, they are floor standers, i only have 4 plugs at the back of the rotel also im not really interested in bi-wiring.

[mjb]

To be honest, I've never been really impressed with bi-amping, the return is IMO not worth the investment.

i need more bass and basically i wont a really load set up. the set up is in a medium size room.

Have you considered adding an active subwoofer? This solution might compliment your existing 1080 well.

im basically asking, if i dedicate one rotel to each speaker, will it blow the speakers?

Its certainly a risk, especially at high listening levels (and/or strong bass).

You don't really need 100's of watts worth of amplification, and then be scared about blowing something up when you crank it up!

An active sub-woofer may be the way to go.

[Kevin D]

hey thanks for your thoughts

i need more bass and basically i wont a really load set up. the set up is in a medium size room.

i know the rb-1080 runs the 110w speakers nicely, im just worried that if i bi-amp them, the wattage may be too high. from my memory, if i bi-amp the rotel, the wattage jumps considerably, like 300w a side?.

im basically asking, if i dedicate one rotel to each speaker, will it blow the speakers?

Bi-amping won't send more power to the speaker. It will allow more power to be available to the high side or low side, but each set will still only see up to 200 watts.

Here's a quick test to see whether biamping your speakers will give you the bass you are craving.:

Remove any jumpers/wires between the high/low posts on your speakers. Hook your current 1080 up to the low/bass input terminals only. Play a track you feel is missing bass. Turn it up until you are impressed with the bass (if you're never impressed, another 1080 isn't going to help). Remember what volume you are at.

If you were impressed by the bass, turn the volume down and hook your 1080 up to the high/mid-treble input terminals. Start the track over. Slowly turn the volume back up to where you were at on the bass speakers. If the sound coming out of the speakers is too loud (way louder then the bass speakers), another 1080 is not going to help you.

If you determine another 1080 won't help, work on speaker placement, different speakers, or adding a sub.

Kevin D.