Horizontal Bi-Amping ? ....

[joeinid]

I'd like to use two 911's as monos on the CR-1's but I would prefer they be the same vintage sound-wise for left and right channels. If my current 911 does not sell, can I add another new(er) amp to horizontally bi-amp them and use one amp for the highs and one amp for the lows so each speaker receives the same quality of sound? Both speakers would utilize both amps instead of using a new amp for one channel and an approx. three year old amp for the other channel. Thoughts?

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The thing with Horizontal Bi-amping is when you dedicate one amp for the lows and another for the hi freq. the amps for the lows is doing much of the work and the amp for the hi freq. is coasting along and can sound different. I prefer to Vertical biamp as each amp sees the same load.....see pic below

Just my 2 cents and what I have experienced doing the Bi-amp thing.....also I think the pay off is not worth it at times compared to doing mono blocks or a more powerful amp perhaps. Its a YMMV thing for sure.

[joeinid]

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for the advice. I know you are correct. I don't feel right about using one new amp and one older amp even though it might be fine. I think I may have a deal to move my 911 and replace it with two new ones Thanks!!! Stay tuned

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Perhaps speaking directly with Burmester could guide you better in what direction to go in.....

[Elberoth]

Originally Posted by A/V Solutions

I prefer to Vertical biamp as each amp sees the same load.....

+1

Vertical biamp shares the load on the power supply of each amp more evenly.

With Dart is not the case as 108 is a true dual mono design back to the AC inlet. BUT, you can still use the vertical biamp to shorten your speaker cables, which IMO is always beneficial.

I have once tried to power my speakers with a jumper cables only (5 inches long), made of the same cable as my speaker cables, and the improvement I got was immense.

On the other hand, I do not hear much difference between 1m and 2m interconnects.

[m.tonetti]

Joe, see also my thread below:
Input Sensitivity Power Amplifiers

[joeinid]

Thanks Massimo,

Great info as usual. I am starting to adopt a simpler is better philosophy, maybe because I'm getting lazy

[Coytee]

Originally Posted by A/V Solutions

The thing with Horizontal Bi-amping is when you dedicate one amp for the lows and another for the hi freq. the amps for the lows is doing much of the work and the amp for the hi freq. is coasting along and can sound different. I prefer to Vertical biamp as each amp sees the same load.....

I always thought the same thing and someone brought up a point that I had not thought of... it might depend on where you cross.

I actively biamp. I also go vertical however I have also gone horizontal when I mixed a tube amp with a SS.

My LF crossover point is 450hz and my HF crossover point is 380hz (factory recommendations). I've been told that because of that I have a more balanced power distribution. Had I crossed at 1Khz/other then it would be skewed to the LF channel I suppose.

I don't know all the technical stuff, just adding a different view on what I would have originally stated myself (and had).

[Masterlu]

I'm horizontally triamped with 3 stereo 911's I can just tell you the end result is simply divine.

If I were to do it over again, I wouldn't change a thing.

[m.tonetti]

Originally Posted by Coytee

I always thought the same thing and someone brought up a point that I had not thought of... it might depend on where you cross.

I actively biamp. I also go vertical however I have also gone horizontal when I mixed a tube amp with a SS.

My LF crossover point is 450hz and my HF crossover point is 380hz (factory recommendations). I've been told that because of that I have a more balanced power distribution. Had I crossed at 1Khz/other then it would be skewed to the LF channel I suppose.

I don't know all the technical stuff, just adding a different view on what I would have originally stated myself (and had).

With an active crossover you must follow these two rules:

1) For the low and high pass frequency is advisable to stay one octave away from the internal speaker crossover;

2) Set an attenuation for more sensitive amp (usually tube technology) with the formula for tensions ratios:

Att(dB) = 20 * Log10(V1/V2)

Where V1 and V2 are the input sensitivity of the two power amplifiers. It isn't important the role of V1 and V2, what it changes is only the sign of the logarithm.