If bi-amping is so great, why do some high end speakers not support it?


I’m sure a number of you have much more technical knowledge than I. so I’m wondering: a lot of people stress the value of bi-amping. My speakers (B&W CM9, and Monitor Audio PL100II) both offer the option. I use it on the Monitors, and I think it helps.

But I’ve noticed many speakers upward of $5k, and some more than $50k (e.g., some of Magico) aren’t set up for it.

Am I missing something? Or is this just one of the issues on which there are very different opinions with no way to settle the disagreement?

Thanks folks…


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I had my first bi-amping epiphany today. I never believed it is useful to do with just two dumb power amps. I was bored today and connected two integrated amps with tone controls to my speakers. I let Ayre run my treble and then vintage Marantz to run my mids and bass. I adjusted tone controls for more bass, adjusted balance since LP was playing uneven in volume. I was shocked how much more decent bass I have extracted from my speakers that were always light in that department. The difference is HUGE. So if you want to play around with bi-amping try two integrated amps with at least VOLUME control, so that you can adjust the sound for the type of music you are playing. My speakers came alive after 8 years for the first time. I listened to some classic jazz and  Leonard Cohen, it sounded so, so good.... I am going to do the same to Wilsons when my Luxman returns from recap service.
Imagine if you did it with two amps of the same make/sound.  That's where the true magic is.  I have heard a few speakers bi and even tri amped with NAD amps.  Just takes some systems to a new level.  As was stated above, no feedback messing with other drivers and each amp is freed up to only worry about a segment of the market if you would. Makes a huge difference, but in the US, most want so much control over their systems, they won't even look at semi or fully active speakers which is too bad.  At least with fully active you hear them the way the designer built them and if you don't like them, move onto other's you do like.
My one experience was positive but perhaps not that common. Many years ago I had a pair of Brian Cheney's VMPS Supertowers, a fairly ambitious 5(?)-way design where the bi-amp option allowed for a 2nd amp to drive the woofers separate from the mids and tweeter array. This worked quite well as it allowed dialing in a better balanced bass in room.
"If bi-amping is so great, why do some high end speakers not support it?"

Because their designers are not confident in the engineering skills of their customers.
In the manual for my new (to me) Vandersteen 2Ci speakers, their recommended version of (vertical) bi-amping is using two stereo amplifiers each driving one speaker with the left output driving the tweeter/midrange and the right connected to the bass. Maybe this is common but I'd not seen this sort of configuration before.