Bi-amping advice for M/L Aerius

Stay with the same amp. Or sell your amp and buy a new multi-channel amp.

Unless you are using an active cross-over with gain control, stay with the same amp. Otherwise, you will have all sorts of matching difficulties. You can put each B&K very close to each speaker (one amp per speaker) and run very short cables. I would prefer that set-up to a multi-channel. M/Ls are very revealing and difficult loads to drive. They benefit more from short speaker cable runs than most speakers.

Thanks for the advice...found a used B&K 2220, so that's the way I think I'll go...

Mitch

I own ML Aerius I and just upgrade from my bryston 3bst to a BAT VK200. Best move I've ever made and I will be keeping the BAT amp for many years to come. The 3bst is rated at 125 watts, and the vk200 at 100 watts. While the 3bst is nice, the vk200 blows it away. Very controlled, tight base. Mids are alive and highs are sweet. Plenty of power; pushed the amp and would not clip. I've auditioned so many amps (classe,plinius,audiomat,AR,sunfire,meridian, and a few others) the vk200 worked for me. Clean, clear, definition and detail. Seems to play all music very well; rock, rega, blues, jazz, HT and even the wifes rap/dance crap. Check it out, worth a listen. I paid $1800 for a demo at the dealer. Good luck.

O, I forgot one. I started with a B&K amp before I upgrade to the 3bst. But to my ears the bat 200 wins over all the others I listed above. When my friends hear it now they all say WOW. I'm finally happy.

PCC--thanks for the advice...what are you using for a pre amp?

Verm, I'm using a dc-1 for ht right now, analyse plus interconnects to the bat; rca to balanced. All other cables are transparent. Down the road I will be looking at the bat vk30. I already tried the vk3i and can you say WOW. Here is the kicker, I tried the bat 50se in the same setup and did not really see any difference. But the bat 3i, like I said WoW. From what the local dealer said, he said I could intergrate the bat 3i into my ht setup and when I listen to music just turn the 3i on. So I'm all for this. I still want to try the vk30 and hoping it will sound like the 3i. Its just the new bat preamps can stay on in a wait mode and you can use the remote to turn it on, unlike the 3i were you need to get up and flip a switch and wait for the tubes to warm up(30minutes later). But if the vk 30 doesn't work like the bat 3i; I'll have to just get out off comfort mode and turn the 3i on. Let say that w/just when I auditioned the 3i and vk200 together w/just the aerius i, analsys plus cables rca from my pioneer elite cd/dvd to balanced in to the vk200. 3i to vk200 w/nordost blue heaven balanced. vk200 w/transparent biwire music wave to aerius i. The sound was out of this world. I heard every detail in the highs,mids,lows and the base was actually hitting me in the chest. I walked over to my sub just to make sure it was still disconnected, it was. Did not no ml's were capable of this. Played some dire straights, diane krall, some jazz, the wifes dance/rap crap and all sounded great. A friend of mine came over and threw his oszy ozborne cd in and cranked it up. He said it was just like an ozy concert(he said he's been to 3). Well this is my experience. I believe I finally found the surenergy with my system. And For the outrageous money I put in to it, it should sound great even if I throw a damn carrot in the cd player. My opinion, but check it out for your self. I don't claim to be an expert, cause this I am not. But I do believe in getting what I pay for. I read alot of reviews and everyone has something they like, I've tried quite a bit of equip and this is were I,m staying for a long time to come. So good luck to you. Trust your ears.

PCC,

Thanks a ton for the advice...would you like a CD of music I find awesome on the Aerius'...if so, email me an address and I'll fire it off to you in a couple of weeks...

If not--check out Tino Izzo on CD Plus...

All instrumental with crystal clear guitars...

Mitch

Vermonter, Pcc is right, you would be surprised what these speakers will do with a higher grade amp. I am using a Proceed HPA2 and they will rock more than you think. I haven't heard the B&K but you might want to try and audition some other amps before you make a final decision on whether to Bi-amp or upgrade your present amp. Good Luck.
By the way, DO BI-WIRE these speakers.

No money,

Thanks for the advice...got 'em bi-wired (actually, the extra speaker cable works well keeping them from dancing around the room with glee and excitement).

These are really awesome speakers...I'm glad I started this whole trek toward perfect sound with them...

Mitch

These speakers have taken me through many upgrades and get better every time. I started with CJ PV10a and Sonograph sa125 amp. Then I swithched to Proceed amp with ARC LS-15 and upgraded cable to Transparent "super" balanced between pre and amp, single ended between cd (Sony 9000es) and pre and super bi-wire to the ML's. All of this of course was not done at the same time. Every upgrade was very noticeable through these speakers. Now I got the bug to upgrade to the next line of Transparent......this is killing me.

Actually an easy way to actively bi-amp your Aerius's is to add a sub woofer with its own amp and a high pass x-over that is worth a damn (Like the Velodyne FSR/HGS series of one from HSU). By rolling off the bottom end of the ML below 50-80 HZ, you will pick up a nice amount of headroom on both the main amp & MLs, add extension down to 20HZ, and considerably open up the soundstaging of the MLs to boot. A brand new Velodyne FSR-12 sub can be had for $800-900. You can get more options by going to an outboard active electronic x-over (Marchand or HSU). This allows you to expand your choice of subs to those that are excellent (REL for example) but don't have high pass filters built into their electronic x-overs.

Good advice 1953, I do agree with you. I heard the Marchland x-over is great and from what I seen on the vmps website. I'm looking at there subs now.