HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

Bi-wire

When we bi-wire should we use one cable which is internally bi-wired or should we use two separate runs of the same cable. Or could we use two runs of different cables from the same manufacture say LS6 the bass and LS5 to the Tweeter or vice versa. Someone asked me this and I have to say I have no idea ?

It depends on amp / speaker connections for a start. If you have bi-wire terminals on your amp as well as speakers I would say seperate wires is likely optimum. I have used both methods but never done a direct comparison due to using different amps at different times. I have actually used different makes for bass and treble in the past. So many variables it is difficult to be definitive.

I bi-amp with ls5 for tweeter from A20s & ls6 for bass from A60.
Never felt bi-wire did anything in previous systems I’ve owned but bi-amp is good

Richard would say.

Using 2 cable runs (the same or different) is not biwiring. Everybody else says it is but it effects capacitance.

The only way to biwire is to split your speaker cable at the speaker end.

Using nva amps it is not recommended that you use the everyone else biwire.

Answer - bi-AMP not 'buy-wire' - simples. Bi amping always worked well when I did it...

I'm bi. Bi-amp that is, obviously, and I use, what's in my sig.

As far as I can tell there's a huge divide between groups of pro-bi-wire advocates and those who say it makes no difference whatsoever. Surprise, surprise. It's hi-fi.

My personal feeling is that, if you've got two sets of speaker terminals on your amp, use two cable runs if you want to try bi-wiring, I've never seen how one cable split at one end can make a difference. I believe bi-amping to be a different story, and Richard suggested the setup I'm using as the "basic" NVA bi-amp model.

Of course, as most people will tell you, I know bugger-all about hi-fi, so...

When helping a mate bi-amp his 3-way speakers (NVA A60s with LS5 and LS1) I was surprised to find that the speakers were designed to have one amp driving the tweeter and one amp driving the mid range and woofer.

I assumed that splitting the load of the two main drivers would make more sense, but I'm not a speaker (or amplifier) designer.

Is this the usual was of splitting 3 was speakers?

I've found that in most cases, bi-wire is better. But Bi-amp is miles superior - costs a lot as you need 2 power amps.

My MA PL200's have the mid range and tweeter on one set of cores and the twin woofers on the other set. Had to ask MA though - it was far from obvious!!!

Three things about bi-wiring -

a, The dealer sells you two sets of cable instead of one - and cables are often very high profit to a dealer

b, The amp sees a different load, maybe slightly different in some cases

c, The amp may react to this load and what you hear may be this reaction rather than a definitive improvement

Thanks for the coments I've sent him a link so he can read for himself. I found that adding a good pair of jumper cables does a good job if you only have one amp.