BI-AMP, is it worth it?

I just got a set of Klipsch RF 82's and an Onkyo TX-NR636.

The speakers and the amp are both BI amp capable, but I am curious if theres truly an advantage and what it is.

 

Quiet in here.........

 

My audiophile friend said the benefits of a bi amp setup are negligable, and could potentially make things worse.

 

thats lame...............curious, what does he mean make things worse?

 

I guess there's the possibilty for interference. Some people think the gains are negligable and some people swear by it. It's whatever makes your ears happy I suppose.

 

For what it's worth, I have a Luxman receiver and some Mirage M's that are bi-ampable and tried it. I couldn't tell a difference, but I have old ears too. Reading reviews makes it seem like there is a big benefit, I sure didn't see it at any volume, with various types of music.

I'm not aware of any "harm" that can be done to your speakers, or your amp as long as they're hooked up correctly.

I'd say enlist some help from a buddy and try it in a blind test and see what you think. A majority of sound reproduction is in the ear of the beholder. What sounds good to me may not to you, and visa versa.

 

Good point, I'll have someone hook them up normal and bi amp without telling me which. Then listen to the speakers blindly and just let my ears decide. Thanks for the info. This is how I buy exhausts

 

I've never found Bi-Amping to be worth while. I've ran Bi-Amp'd speakers on my Onkyo and the difference was not very noticeable vs running them normal. I ended up selling my Bi-Amp speakers and getting a good set of normal speakers.

The ONLY difference I was able to really hear from bi-amping was more bass. But I could only hear this when my subs were turned off. Otherwise, it wasn't worth the cash I spent to buy the speakers that supported Bi-Amping.

Hope this helps.

 

Thnx..... I run a sub also...... The speakers have decent bass but I could use more, the highs are so crisp and clear tho, I don't want to muddy those up.

 

Probably because this thread belongs in the Audio & Video section.

But while we're here (and you grabbed my attention by a pure shot of luck), bi amplification does offer many improvements if done correctly. It mostly depends on your equipment configuration and capabilities. If you can properly tune your amplifier gain structure to cater to each pair of your speakers needs, band pass cross over your door speakers, and hi-pass your tweeters at the correct frequencies, then it will be a better result than using a passive crossover. This also opens up the possibility of utilizing your head units DSP features more effectively. If your head unit offers time alignment and separate zone equalization, bi amplification of your front stage will result in a night and day difference from a less complex configuration.

Also consider relocating your tweeters to the sail panel instead of its factory location.

If bi amplifying is resulting in added interference, as mentioned earlier in this thread, something is wrong with your installation or equipment.

Bottom line is; bi-amplifying a setup is not recommended for novice installers. It has a lot more to do with your tuning capabilities as defined by your equipment, tools, and knowledge. Bi-amplifying will not yield a major improvement if done without all of these factors working together properly.

 

I'd throw this in aud/vid but this is not Tacoma related so I wasn't sure where to put it...... This is home theater, but thank u for the info....... Let's keep it rolling, I'm in a doc appt and this is passing the time and helping me out.

 

Ahhh, ok. Well in that case, you might not notice a difference at all with bi amplifying in a home setup. Unless it's a very complex and custom setup.

Imaging and acoustics are the biggest obstacles in car audio, and since you can't move things around or do much for acoustics, bi amplification offers tuning solutions to these.

In your home, imaging and acoustics are typically not as restricted and due to the typical placements of speakers are in a good configuration to begin with. The blind test is a good way to tell which way you like it, but there probably won't be much of a difference.

 

Gotcha.......
On another note I think its horsecrap how many receivers are being marketed as 160 wpc, but the fine print says into 6ohms.
Why in the world don't they rate at 8ohms?

I assume its to FLUFF the numbers.

These speakers are pretty beefy and I wanted a decent amount of horsepower to push em without clipping.

 

That's exactly why the rate them at 6ohms if you ask me. I'd recommend a separate amplifier unless you have a very robust receiver. I didn't look at that onkyo you listed since I'm on my phone at the moment.

 

http://www.onkyousa.com/Products/model.php?m=TX-NR636&class=Receiver

Then click on specs....... Hope that helps, it has actual 8ohm stats

 

I had an Onkyo receiver, but it crapped out after a year. I ended up replacing it with a Yamaha. It sounds fine to me.

 

Bummer, they have two ur warranties.

This one is replacing a Yamaha. The Yamaha kept would dim when the bass hit for some reason. The onkyo drives the speakers with no problem.

 

I bought an Onkyo in 2003 and it still runs, never once had an issue. I even leave it outside in the Az heat for 2 years now and still it runs like a champ.

Now I got a new Onkyo in 2013, and its such a buggy nightmare! The sound is amazing, however Pandora will just stop working for a few seconds at random. Lots of times I have to unplug it from the wall as the amps won't kick on. I've had to hard reset it 3 times in 2 years. Super buggy, Onkyo doesn't care and its the last Onkyo I'll ever run. I have a Denon and its fantastic but it's the lower end of the line. So they will be my next buy when I get a higher end receiver.

 

I had the TX-SR606. There was a common issue with the capacitors crapping out. If my soldering skills were good, I could have fixed it myself for about $2. I just bought a new receiver instead.

The Yamaha is a RX-V373. The only thing I kind of miss from the Onkyo is the ability to route analog input through HDMI, but I rarely use anything with composite input these days.

 

Biamped out of curiosity with outdoor lighting wire..... Its 12 gauge and full copper, not copper coated zinc like most of the shit on the market.

Sounds crisper, could be in my head but its not hurting anything.