New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

bi-amp floor speakers?

post #1 of 4
5/9/09 at 5:25pm
Thread Starter 
I'm setting up my HT this weekend. I have a pair of Polk TSi300 speakers for the front and an Onkyo TX-SR607 7.2 receiver however due to my room shape I was just going to do a 5.1 setup. So, I'm reading the manual and it says if I don't do the extra set of rear speakers, I can set up my floor speakers to be bi amp where I have 1 cable for the woofer and 1 for the tweeter. My speakers support that and have the 2 different ports in the back, so I thought I would set that up.

So I'm wondering, is it worth doing that way? will I notice any difference in sound? Will these separate woofer signals be good enough where I won't need a subwoofer? the sub I have isn't very good, but I was going to keep it instead of getting a new one since I've spent way too much already

I can have 2 subs actually, but i can't imagine needing 2, plus I'm in a condo and I don't want my neighbors to hate me after just being here a week
Reply
post #2 of 4
5/9/09 at 8:17pm

Re: bi-amp floor speakers?

Quote:
I can set up my floor speakers to be bi amp where I have 1 cable for the woofer and 1 for the tweeter. My speakers support that and have the 2 different ports in the back, so I thought I would set that up.

So I'm wondering, is it worth doing that way? will I notice any difference in sound?
I wouldn't bother bi-amping. Especially if it's done with a receivers internal amplifiers. You really need two seperate external amps for it to be done right. And even then (no offense) you would need much better speakers to really hear any difference.
Quote:
Will these separate woofer signals be good enough where I won't need a subwoofer? the sub I have isn't very good, but I was going to keep it instead of getting a new one since I've spent way too much already
You would still need a sub with those (and 99 % of all speakers) anyway. Start saving .

This bi-amping question comes along every now and then and the answer is always the same. Done right, with the right speakers and equipment, there might be a difference. But for most of us, myself included, time and energy can be better spent elsewhere. It just won't make any noticeable difference.

Actually, there might be one way bi-amping might be a benefit. If you find the tweeter or woofer seems to be over-powering the other driver you could conceiveably use the individual volume control to bump up or tone down one of the drivers to even things out. Do you follow my thought? But in most instances it wouldn't be worth the trouble.
Reply
post #3 of 4
5/10/09 at 8:16am

Re: bi-amp floor speakers?

I wish manufacturers would stop putting bi-amp capability on every speaker they make. I don't know how many people waste time and especially money using it. Here's some basic math, roughly estimated. The tweeter (again, just a general example) takes maybe 10% of the total amp power and the woofer takes 90%. So, all you are really doing is removing the negligible tweeter load from the amp powering the woofer, roughly 10%. The gain in power is insignificant. If you want to try it with your receiver, there's no real loss since the amps are already there, but since the receiver is actually sharing one power supply, I doubt you would get any real gain.

Where it is a complete waste is with people who insist on buying two cheaper amps so they can bi-amp, when they would gain more by using one better, more powerful amp for the same price or less. I don't think I've seen a single person dissuaded from pointlessly doing this though. Once it's in their head, they do it regardless of feedback.
Reply
post #4 of 4
5/10/09 at 8:54am
Thread Starter 

Re: bi-amp floor speakers?

OK thanks for the info

I set up my speakers with the bi-amp thing just because I could. I would rather have 2 more rear speakers though so if I can ever find a way to set up the room for that I will.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Speakers and Subwoofers