biwiring advice from fellow cable skeptics?

[tomek]

hi there,

i'm wondering whether i should biwire my speakers. i've read up on it a bit and have found the usual range of responses, from no difference whatsoever to an enormous improvement.

i guess i'd like to hear from people who are like me and have found limited improvement with speaker wire and interconnects (whether it's because of our mutual tone deafness or other reasons...)

[JefferyK]

Depends on your speakers. My B&Ws definitely sound better bi-wired. They sounded better bi-wired at the shop when I auditioned them, and they sound better bi-wired at home. The instructions that came with them recommend bi-wiring, and the instructions are correct.

I know from experience that ICs and speaker cables do affect sonics. Sorry. ! I strongly suspect that people who don't hear a difference either don't have revealing systems or need to tweak their speaker setup.

Jeffery

[HiWire]

Hey Tomek, did you go to Golden Tiger? I haven't researched bi-wiring... but apparently there is a principle of physics involved, yes? As to whether it can be heard, that depends mainly on the relation between the system (e.g. amp) and the speakers.

[eyeteeth]

A decent stereo shop will go through the trouble of single & biwiring some gear for you to hear & compare.

In Toronto a mid-fi store (Arcam/NAD/PSB/ProAc) that is very accommodating is Great Metropolitan Sound . Salesman Gary Parm is really decent.

One higher-end store (Mcintosh/Clearaudio/Blue Circle/Spendor/Loth-X) that is very customer friendly is Executive Stereo . I always protest, half heartedly, at the cash "but im not an executive."
Both places will leave you alone to listen if you want. It's quite comfy at Executive on those big sofas & chairs in the back listening to gear I can never afford (and they know I can't afford which is cool of them, although i've bought cables & a power conditioner from them).

Give it a try, it's free.

[HiWire]

I'll make sure I check those out when I have time... Bay Bloor Radio always feels wrong when I go, and I haven't been to Kromer yet. I'll be old and deaf by the time I can afford the cool stuff

[eyeteeth]

Originally posted by HiWire
Bay Bloor Radio always feels wrong when I go, and I haven't been to Kromer yet.

BBR always seems crowded/busy. Very public and exposed and salesmen who talk too much. Executive is quiet and intimate. I've not been to kromer that I can remember.

[Ctn]

Bi-wiring only helps when the speaker cable currently being used isnt thick enough. There are audible difference between thicknesses.

[DarkAngel]

OK I own many pairs of speakers, and the benefits of bi-wiring vary depending on how the crossover of speaker is designed. Some benefit noticeably others not much at all, owners manual will usually tell you what speaker's designer recommends.
Keep these points in mind:

-Double pairs of speaker cables although expensive provide best bi-wire effect vs internal cable bi-wire (personally I would not get internal bi-wire cables even though this is cheaper)

-Any benefit of bi-wiring must overcome the cost of two cable pairs vs spending twice as much money on better single cable pair.

I think for many people it is better just to spend twice as much for better single speaker cable pair and quality jumpers to replace stock brass connecting straps. Some speaker companies make the decision for you and only offer two binding posts.

(I am strong believer in cable differences including AC cords)

[HiWire]

I took a long trek out to Kromer... and wasted my time. Other than the Paradigms, there's nothing to see. Just your regular Future Shop selection, with about the same pricing. The sales guys were too busy talking to ask if I was interested in anything (which I wasn't, after walking through both floors). They did have Sennheisers, but were charging $600 for HD600s. No thanks!

DarkAngel has convinced me about the biwiring... although it would be cool if you could biwire with Radio Shack (or no-name) cable and exceed the performance of the $500/ft stuff out there - wishful thinking

[Howie]

I too think it depends on the speaker. Some speakers manufacturers don't recommend biwiring and instead recommend the use of jumper cables.

If you have to choose between getting a really good pair of single wire speaker cables and a much lesser biwire pair of cables I would think that you're much better off with the better single wire. I think the best way is to test it yourself. Just use cheap 12gauge cables.