[ChaosCow]

Well, recently, along with the rest of the hi-fi world, I picked up a sonic impact t-amp. Awesome, awesome thing, especially seeing as previously I was abusing my Wharfedale Diamond 8.3s with a piece of sony junk that I got for $150. Now, I just ordered an Onix CD-88 CD player that only has one set of analogue outs. Furthermore, my speakers are bi-wireable. So, my question is, what is the easiest way to use two sonic impact amps to bi-wire a pair of my speakers using only one analog RCA output?

The T-amp only accepts 1/8" plugs; what is the cheapest way for me to deliver an L mono current (that occupies both channels on a 1/8" plug) to one amp, and the R current to the other? Basically, I need two feeds - one cable that delivers the L channel from the CD player to the L and R channels of the amp, thus letting me bi-wire, and one cable that delivers the R channel to the L and R channels of the other amp.

Any suggestions on how I should accomplish this masterwork?

 

[cmirza]

I was also contemplating creating a setup like this. Mono cables would not work because you'd only be supplying a signal to one set of binding posts for each speaker. I would get a pair of RCA Male to Dual RCA Female adapters, connect one to each channel of your CD player. Then run Stereo RCA Male to Stereo 1/8" cables from each adapter to each T-Amp. Then connect both speaker out puts to both of the corresponding speaker inputs.
I don't have much experience with crossovers, but crossovers might be needed for this setup.

 

[tennisets]

The setup you're contemplating is called biamping. There are two ways to accomplish this: use one amp for left channel, one for right channel, or use one amp for high frequencies and one for low frequencies. Which you choose depends on which you decide sounds better in your system. It's easy to change from one method to the other (just switch some cables around), so that shouldn't be too hard to determine.

Anyway, here's what you'll want to do: Buy a pair of male RCA to dual female RCA splitters. Plug one into the right channel output of the CDP and one into the left channel out. Now, let's say you want to use one amp for left and one for right. Get two stereo mini to RCA cables. Plug both RCAs into the left channel out of the CDP. Plug the mini into one T-Amp. Run a set of speaker cables from one output to the bass binding posts of the left speaker. Run another set from the other output to the treble posts of the speaker. Rinse and repeat for the right channel.

If you want to use one amp for bass and one for treble, keep the splitters in. Take one of your mini to RCAs and plug the RCA end into the left and right channels as you would if there were no splitters. Plug the mini into one of your amps. Run speaker cables from the left channel of the amp to the bass binding posts of the left speaker, and cables from the right channel to the bass posts of the right speaker. Do it again with the other amp for the treble signal.

Good luck with your system

.

 

[ChaosCow]

Awesome, that's how I thought this setup would work out. I'm probably going to separate high and low frequencies, because I need to use this same CD player for my headphone amp - thus, I can just plug either mini into the Supermacro, instead of having to combine channels or something. Besides, if I need it, it lets me get a little extra bass kick.

Thank you!


P.S: Oh, um, is bi-amping worthwhile? That is, will it provide a marked increase in sound quality?

 

[terrymx]

i tried using two sonic amp, each to amp one speaker. it doesnt work, i didnt get anymore power. there was a thread long ago saying something about the amp isnt 'bridgable'.

 

[philodox]

Yeah, one for each speaker wont work, but if he uses one for the highs and one for the lows it should be fine.

 

[ChaosCow]

How much better do you think my speakers should sound if I bi-amped? There's really very little information on bi-wiring in general around...

 

[tennisets]

There's actually quite a lot of information about bi-wiring and bi-amping available. Google is your friend on this one, but bi-amping is generally considered much superior to bi-wiring.

Terrymx: The amps aren't bridgable so you won't get more power, but theoretically (keep in mind I haven't ever heard a t-amp) sound quality with any amp should be better if it is only doing half as much work. And you are ABLE to use one t-amp for one speaker, you just don't get any more power which isn't the point of bi-amping in the first place (for most people, anyway),

 

[ChaosCow]

I just remember using google a while back, but I could never find specifically what, exactly, the benefits of bi-wiring were. If it's just for more power, then it seems kind of unnecessary.

But even though these speakers have 86db sensitivity, I have no problem with power. Heck, I get enough volume when my T-amp's volume isn't even at 9 o'clock!

 

[cosmopragma]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tennisets If you want to use one amp for bass and one for treble, keep the splitters in. Take one of your mini to RCAs and plug the RCA end into the left and right channels as you would if there were no splitters. Plug the mini into one of your amps. Run speaker cables from the left channel of the amp to the bass binding posts of the left speaker, and cables from the right channel to the bass posts of the right speaker. Do it again with the other amp for the treble signal. Good luck with your system .

Yes, especially if you follow tennisets' advice.
Bypassing a passive crossover this way means that you are amplifying a full range signal into drivers which are not supposed to reproduce it.
A midrange/bass driver forced to reproduce treble will survive this, but the crippled treble it provides is distorted and interferes with the treble produced by the tweeter.
A tweeter forced to reproduce bass might soon be a fried tweeter.

 

[ChaosCow]

So, I shouldn't do it? If not, fine, it would have cost me $50 for all the extra cable anyways.

 

[RHMMMM]

How are you going to do volume control, just try to eye the volume knobs on both amps to try to make them the same?

 

[cosmopragma]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChaosCow So, I shouldn't do it?

I just looked for the specs of your speakers, and I was wrong.You could biamp this speaker, but the volume control issue RHMMMM mentioned is still valid.

 

[tennisets]

Good point on the volume control. If you do one amp for left and one for right then it's not an issue, you'll just have dual mono volume control (which I actually prefer over one stereo control). For the volume reason mentioned you shouldn't do one amp for bass and one for treble, since you'll probably just wind up making the signal unbalanced.

And if a speaker has the ability to be biwired, it can also be biamped. You're not bypassing the internal crossover.

The reason you can't find much about the benefits of biwiring is because no one is quite sure exactly what they are

. I've tried my speakers biwired and not biwired, and I prefer them not biwired. It sounds better (with MY speakers and to MY ears. What I say should have no effect on whether or not you like it).

 

[JWFokker]

I'd use one amp for highs, one amp for lows, then control volume with the CD player itself after adjusting volume for each amp with an SPL meter.