Bi-wiring compared to jumpers.

[prepress]

Originally Posted by audio bill

My post above was meant to be sarcastic, maybe I didn't use the best emoticon to convey that.

High end audio is a very subjective venture. As an EE many things in audio continue to surprise me. Why are many of us able to hear differences between gear that is sometimes unmeasurable? Maybe we're measuring the wrong things. Human hearing is a very complex system.

You can find articles like the one provided above stating that bi-wiring makes no difference, similarly that all competently designed amps sound identical, that CDs provide perfect audio reproduction, all cables sound the same, etc. Why then do some of us still find more emotional engagement from analog recording and playback when compared to digital which may measure better? Even with digital gear in the cost no object range I still haven't heard it connect to me the way it does when I hear a great reel to reel playback system. The textures, decay, and spatial reproduction just excels in analog. Of course digital can still sound excellent, but when I compare it to analog it generally comes up short. I can't really explain why.

To me it's all about having an emotional connection to the music we listen to and love. Isn't that what it's really all about and why we continue to pursue this obsession for better sound? Regardless of what current measurements show I'll continue to be guided by what I hear and enjoy, even though it sometimes conflicts with the objective nature of my formal education. I have to believe that continuing to question objective data is what keeps us moving forward towards further discovery.

Of course I expect there are many that will disagree with this, and that's part of what makes this hobby (and life in general) more interesting. Let's all keep those tunes playing and enjoy the music!

I think it makes sense. I don't find it impossible to hear something that cannot be measured; science is not the be-all and end-all of things. Lack of empirical evidence is not enough to dismiss the possibility that something exists beyond the empirical.

I used to have two pair of B&K M-200 monos (BTW, I read where B&K is making a comeback) in a passive bi-amp setup for my Mirage M-3si speakers; removing one pair thinned out the sound noticeably, if not dramatically. I now bi-wire with MC501s, using different taps for the lows and mid/highs. I'm not interested enough to experiment with single wire and jumpers, and am content with the sound I get as is.

[paulphoosreal]

Originally Posted by BlueFox

My guess is most use a single run and jumpers versus bi-wiring. No data here, just a feeling. I replaced the jumper on my Aerial Acoustics 7T with a Shunyata jumper, and was open mouthed with the improvement.





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Lumin S1

Sony XA5400ES SACD

Pass XP-20 pre, X600.5 amps

Magico S5 speakers



Shunyata Triton v2/Typhon for source, Cyclops v2 (2) for amps

Shunyata Z Anaconda XLR analog ICs, Z Anaconda speaker cables

Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables

Revelation Audio Passage Cryo-Silver Reference DB-25 umbilical power cable



Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers

Three 20 amp circuits.

As I have 7Ts what was the improvement that left you open mouthed. Very interested to know. Thanks.