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To biwire or not to biwire, that is the question??

Thanks for taking the time to read. I have sifted through the mound of information regarding biwiring but have yet to come to a clear yes or no on the matter.

My question is as follows: Using a single 2CH amplifier run to speakers that are set-up to biwire utilizing a biwire cable (2 connections amp end/ 4 connections speaker end)should return no greater result than running a single wire to that same speaker and utilizing jumpers??? My reading suggests that unless you are bi-amping, simply taking the source of the signal at the amp, (2 connections) and splitting that into (4 connections at the speaker) is not positively affecting the sound?? Bi-amping on the other hand may return an improved sound as the signals are isolated and could affect the resistance of the load?

So I guess what my reading has indicated is that if you are only running a single amp (2 connections) to a bi-wire ready speaker (4 coonnections) you are really paying for a cable that has additional ends but should return no great end product as the signals are technically not distinct as in the case of using 2 ampsor an amp set up for bi-amping?

Any thoughts are welcome as this seems to be an endless debate???
nissancrazy

Showing 3 responses by nissancrazy

nissancrazy OP
30 posts
 
Thanks for all the great feedback here. It seems that the ultimate end is going to be the product of the electronics and speakers one utilizes more so than a universal standard that can equally be applied across the board.

Trial and error seem to be the best route here.
nissancrazy OP
30 posts
 
Thanks for the replies.

The science suggests that by utilizing a single wire that is biwired (2) connections to (4) connections that you are lowering resistance at the point of the crossover and the binding posts and pushing that all the way towards the amplifier, not sure I buy that, but the theory sounds good....

I guess the only real way to get an answer here is to attempt to run single wires with jumpers and then run biwired cables and go back an forth. Problem there is that different wires will sound different, different speakers will work 'better' with certain types of wire and so on........

I see many offerings for jumpers here on agon and some of then get quite expensive. I ask myself why would someone purchase single-wire cables and then go through the trouble of purchasing jumpers when the alternative of just purchasing biwired cables is there from the start.

My local high end shop suggests the following:

Purchase the highest quality of single-wire you can afford and then utilize jumpers (aftermarket, after you have thrown away what comes with the speakers). They feel the science of biwiring without utilizing 2 amplifiers or amps not designed to bi-amp is more sales that fact.

What I have found is that everyone seems to have an opinion.
nissancrazy OP
30 posts
 
Thanks again for the information. It would seem that to get the potential benefit of biwiring that either two runs of cable need be used or a amp set up to bi-amp, dual mono or actually 2 amps.

Based upon the feedback here it would seem that using a single cable that is biwire is not really getting you any more than the single nonbiwired cable.

Utilizing 2 runs of cable for each speaker would seem to be the best way to go.

Would the suggestion be to simply tie them together at the amp end (twisting the cable together)or maybe use one cable with spades and one with banana connection to avoid twisting the cable together at the amp end?
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