Bi-wiring -- I don't get it.

[lmm]

Now, I'm not an expert, but I just don't get the principle.

I have a single speaker output on the amp, and two speaker inputs on the speaker.

I can connect two pairs of wires, bridging the two at the amp, and connecting them individually to the speaker input. Or, I could bridge the two pairs of wires any place along the length, and it would give the same result, until I finally reach the speakers themselves.

So isn't "biwiring" pretty much the same as running double-size cables from amp to speakers?

This is different from bi-amping, since with that, there's a crossover at signal level where different frequencies run at different amps.

Right?

[Lee Bailey]

I believe you have it correct. Hooking up via Bi-Wire would not look any different electrically to the amp. Where as Bi-Amping would.

[Lou-the-dog]

I'm pretty sure biwiring is implemented to prevent the slow moving "woofer" electrons from being trampled be the very fast moving "tweeter" electrons. If the fast moving "tweeter" electrons trample too many slow moving "woofer" electrons then the bass and mids will sound thin. Biwiring provides two different paths to eliminate this "trampling" phenomenon. I've never been able to figure out how each type of electron knows exactly which wire to go down tho. Then again, I might not know what I'm talking about.

Randy

[MikeQ]

I'm pretty sure biwiring is implemented to prevent the slow moving "woofer" electrons from being trampled be the very fast moving "tweeter" electrons

Maybe it was implemented to sell more wire!?

[DavidD]

Another view of biwiring:

Biwiring

[Lee Bailey]

That's pretty much an advertisement for their bi-wired cables. I'd be concerned that their cables filter the frequencies. Electrically, you're really just removing the jumpers from the crossover at the speaker, and applying the jumpers back at the receiver's speaker connection instead.

[DavidD]

That's pretty much an advertisement for their bi-wired cables. I'd be concerned that their cables filter the frequencies. Electrically, you're really just removing the jumpers from the crossover at the speaker, and applying the jumpers back at the receiver's speaker connection instead.

Actually, they're not selling cables. They're selling speakers (good ones, too). This is an explanation of why they think biwiring is a good thing.

[Lee Bailey]

You're correct. My apoligies. What's even scarier, is that they are located less than 60 miles from my house!

[bikeman]

Vandersteen's article didn't hold up on the various discussion groups when it came out. I'll try to do a search and see if I can come up with something.

David

[DavidD]

Vandersteen's article didn't hold up on the various discussion groups when it came out. I'll try to do a search and see if I can come up with something.

David

I'm not necessarily a proponent of biwiring, although I own Vandersteens and do biwire them. That was done primarily because it was more convenient given how the speaker connections are designed on my model (IIci). (Also, I got two sets of nice Audioquest speaker cables for free with the speakers.)

I've never done any listening comparisons. I know this is a controversial issue with many people, and we probably won't resolve it here.