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B&W 800D2 - Bi-amping vs Bi-wiring

Hello folks,

I am looking for feedback on bi-amping these amazing speakers. I currently own a CA-2200 amp and it seems 200w per channel may not be adequate to realize full potential of 800D2. So i was thinking of bi-amping two classe ca-2200 for L/R speakers, thus feeding 400w each to Left and Right speakers. Or am i better off buying a pair of CA-M600 for each speaker? I would like to stick with Classe amps only... love the way they sound.

Next question is about bi-wiring. There seems to be bit of confusion (atleast in my head) on the best way to bi-wire speakers. The true shotgun cable is terminated with two split(+ and -)on amp end and 4 splits (2 + and 2 -)on speaker end. I have seen illustrations where bi-wiring is done with 2 identical runs of cables between dual binding posts on amp and speaker ends feeding seperate signal to LF and HF speaker inputs. I have read about the advantages of two single runs but my cable manufacturer doesn't seems to agree with this configuration. He is still recommending shotgun configuration.

I hope to gain some insight before i make an investment in a amp or new cables. I currently own a bi-wire cable in shotgun configuration.
128x128lalitk

Showing 5 responses by zd542

zd542
5,339 posts
 
"Or am i better off buying a pair of CA-M600 for each speaker?"

I wouldn't do it that way. If you want to biamp, I think its better to use 2 stereo amps and do a vertical biamp.

Worry about the cables later. Its more important to active components first.
zd542
5,339 posts
 
"07-31-15: Mattmiller
Anytime you can go to Mono blocks I would recommend it, over bridging or bi amping with stereo amps."

Whats the logic behind that? If you could by a stereo amp that sounds better and has more power than 2 mono amps, why wouldn't that be the better choice?
zd542
5,339 posts
 
"What is the point of having two sets of binding posts if you don't use them for bi-wiring?
Lalitk (Threads | Answers | This Thread)"

Most people will use the extra set of binding posts to biwire. You can also use them to get signal to a sub that has speaker cable inputs for signal.
zd542
5,339 posts
 
"08-02-15: Almarg
While adding a second CA-2200 in a passive vertical biamp configuration MIGHT prove to be sonically beneficial on some musical passages, as Kr4 and Tls49 indicated it will not provide much in the way of a useful increase in power capability."

I don't understand why that would be. You go from 1 amp powering 2 speakers full range, to 2 of the same amps powering 1 speaker each. The amp is required to do half the work it did before. In my system it seems to make a big difference, but my components are different than the OP's.
zd542
5,339 posts
 
Al,

I should have mentioned in my last post that I wasn't talking so much about more volume, as I was about overall sound quality. And along with that the impression of the amp being more at ease, with driving the speakers. For me, that sounds like more power, even though I wasn't playing the system at a louder volume. As always, thanks for the excellent explanation.

"08-02-15: Lalitk
Thank you all for the feedback. It seems that instead of bi-amping, I should look at investing in a high current monoblocks. The additional expense of running balance and power cables can best be put use towards a quality amp. "

That sounds like a good idea; especially the part about putting the money towards a better amp instead of cables. The only thing I would add, is that it seems that you are focusing on the design more than the end result. There's nothing that says a mono block has to outperform a stereo amp. It all depends on a variety of factors. Buy the amp that works and sounds the best with your speakers. That's what's really important.
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