Bridging amps, Good idea or bad idea?


I own a Cambridge Audio 840W, which can be bridged, which makes each amp a 500w mono block as opposed to a 200w stereo amp. That's 1Kw PER CHANNEL! Are there any downsides to doing this? Will there be added distortion, or will it chnage the sound any negatively? I already high pass my speakers because I use a sub so they only get 80hz+ as it is.
nemesis1218

Showing 1 response by kurt_tank

I found this information about bridging amps on the Audio Asylum FAQ. You might find it useful.

Audio Asylum - Biamplification Basics

Bridging (also called monobridging or monoblocking) is the summing of two channels of an amp to give one higher-powered channel. An amp normally rated at 100W might deliver 300W to 400W when bridged. Because of the summing however, the load on the amp is seen as half of its normal value. In other words, an 8-ohm speaker becomes a 4-ohm speaker load, and a 4-ohm speaker becomes a 2-ohm speaker load. Speaker impedance ratings are nominal only. Actual impedance may dip to a much lower value through part of its range. When an amp's current load has been doubled due to bridging, it can often fail to provide the required amount of current into the load. Sonic effects include harshness in the midrange and highs, and thin bass. In almost all situations therefore, biamping with similar amps will result in better sound quality than bridging. Bridging is best left to professional sound-reinforcement applications, where sound quality is secondary.

Good Luck and I hope that helps!