Is true-biamping now cheaper and easer?


Crown now, in their XLS series, sells high powered stereo amps (300 -500 per channel/8 ohms, doubling into 4) that offer a highly variable low and high pass filtration that can be channeled selectively into the left and right outputs. Moreover, the gain of each output is individually variable. Hence, two-way, bi-amping is now easy (you select the cross-over point, and adjust the volumes of the tweet and woofer) and cheap, ~$300-500 per speaker. Just get rid of that awful passive crossover.

Is this a great possibility, or am I missing something.

P.S.In responding to this, please realized that I don't believe that one can hear either cables or amps (given they have the watts). I prefer objectivity, something one hear it 'blinded'!
pmcneil

Showing 1 response by dan_ed

My answer to your question is that while there may be cheaper and easier solutions available, the best sounding approaches to bi-amping are neither. IMO.

I use QSC 500 watt/ch amp for my bass horns, <100 Hz, but my Marchand xover is much better sounding than the built-in on the amp when it comes to evaluating what comes out of the mid and tweeters. (BTW, I actually prefer passives for the mid and tweet crossovers in my system. YMMV) Remember, everything goes through that circuit on the amp, not just the low end, and as others point out it wasn't built to audiophile standards.

Still, the amps are built like tanks for the use we might put them through in home systems. If I didn't already have a Classe 301 in my theater for the mains I would consider using a QSC amp for that application as well.