2. amps-preamps
  3. 1156646505

How to horizontally bi-amp Maggies

Am embarrasd since i have been at this Hifi game forever and for 6 years (tried) to answer questions while slinging B&W,Krell,McIntosh etc.People would ask about why thier were bi-ampo/bi-wire posts but I doubt many folks went for more than bi-wirring and never got another customer copme in for second amp or called on how to set one up. but still confused about bi-amping horizontally.Vertically it's no secret.Need a mono conversion switch and viola.But if you have matching amps and want to use both (which I have read sounds better since ,especially if cut off ny x-over or even on line low/high pass filters speakers sound better since they only have to work on limited frequency.I know that you pay penalty and get 150% not double the power (or more) with vertical bi-amping.I have heard one is able to just take say an integrated amp and if company puts out matching amp you can just use splitter to send sound full range (as one post put it) to speakers (though again one could use low and high pass filters that attach to speaker cables).But when I called Maggie they told me I'd need to use a crossover either one they used to make a little cheap plastic box or spend something and get tube Marchand or well known Bryston or others.So which situation is it?I have read where some use solid state on bottom and less powerfull tubes on top of a two or three way speaker and can't wrapp my head around that unless you adjust input sensitivity of more powerfull amp.Or use and amp balancer?But let's keep it simple.Why was one person planning to get over achieving VTL85 tube intergrated and mate it with and identical power amp they make and someone posted they'd need a crossover (as in another case when I called maggie insisted one was needed) and another respondent said no just use spliter and attach appropriate wires for each speaker.So which is it?
I've put up another post but maybe folks fell asleep before it's end but hopping one day to get some help here.
Thanks
Chazzbo
chazzbo

Showing 1 response by jeffreybehr

jeffreybehr's avatar
jeffreybehr
805 posts
 
"Vertically it's no secret.(sic)Need a mono conversion switch and viola." Huh? One does NOT need a 'mono conversion switch', whatever that is, to biamp vertically. One merely needs a couple 1-to-2 Y-adapters to get the same signal to both channels of each amp. One connects 2 speakercables to each speaker, and you're now vertically biamping.

Horizontal biamping uses 2 stereo amps with one driving the 2 bass ends of the speakers and the other amp driving the MR/treble ends of the speakers. One needs a gain control on the more-sensitive amp (and that's 1-Watt sensitivity, not full-output sensitivity), or the balance of lower and higher frequencies will be wrong. The easiest way to deal with crossovers is to use those already in the speakers, and this is called passive biamping or filtering. Using active (i.e. line-level) crossovers and bypassing the speakers' crossovers is called active biamping or filtering. There are positives and negatives to both and fans of both, some quite vocal. Both work and both will gain the advantage of being able to use amps that are better suited to the frequencies assigned.
.
More to discover