Biamping with a tube and SS combo


I was watching a youtube video by Paul @ PS Audio in which he was discussing the differences between bi-wiring and bi-amping. An interesting point he made was that some folks like to use a bi-amping configuration where a tube amp is driving the tweeters, whereas SS is managing the woofers. I've read a lot about tube pre's working in conjunction with SS amps, but never really thought about this particular combination. Sounds intriguing. So inquiring minds (and mine as well) want to learn a bit more from those who might have travelled down this road ...

How would you compare the bi-amping scenario I described above with the more common tube pre + SS amp combo? If you have compared both, which one sounded better to you?

If one were to go down this path, what aspects one has to keep in mind? E.g. things like impedance, gain settings, etc,

If you have one source only, which one do you connect it to? And subsequently, how do you connect the tube and SS (same as the pre/amp combo?) ?

I would love to hear from folks who have actually tried it, and not just throw a bunch of measurement graphs at us. Also, let's not turn this into a bi-amping vs bi-wiring comparison or tutorial. Thank you.


arafiq

Showing 1 response by mlsstl

Read your owners manual and see what your speakers support. To bi-amp, the mid/tweeter drivers (and their portion of the crossover) need to be electrically isolated from the woofer and its section of the crossover. You DON'T want the output of the two amps commingled. 

There are also some setups that need an active, electronic crossover that goes in between the preamp and the two amps. The amps then connect directly to their drivers without using a passive crossover. (This is only correct for a two way system. If you have a three-way, there will still need to be a passive crossover to separate the signal for the midrange drivers and tweeters. An option to this is to tri-amp, where you use three stereo amps.)

You'll also need to have some way to adjust the volume of the respective amps -- it is unlikely that both amps will have precisely the correct amount of gain for proper balance between the mid/tweeter and woofer. The polarity may need to be switched on one of the amps in order to have a correct transition between the upper & lower frequencies.  

This is just a basic primer. As you can see, there is a lot to consider.  

As for pairing a tube amp with a SS amp, that's fine assuming the power and sensitivity aspects are appropriate. It will then just become a matter of your taste as to whether it provides the sound quality you're looking for.