"Glenn Richards" wrote in message
...
Ok, here's an interesting one for you...

(Ok, first up, I'll admit I was bored.)

System: Arcam AVR-250, Mordaunt-Short Avant 908 speakers, Chord Rumour 4
speaker cable

Ever since I've had the Arcam amp, I've had the speakers bi-amped, as in
the current location I don't have space to run 7.1. So I did a little
experiment this morning.

Step 1: Disconnect the speaker cables from channels 6 and 7 (the EX or
bi-amp channels) at both the amp and speaker ends, and replace the
bridging straps on the speakers.

The sound suddenly went flat and lifeless, almost as if it had been
compressed.

Step 2: Reconnect the cables at the speaker end and remove the bridging
straps. Connect the cables into channels 1 and 2 at the amplifier end -
speakers are now bi-wired, but not bi-amped.

The depth and dynamics now returned immediately.

Step 3: Move the bi-wire cables back to channels 6 and 7, returning the
system to bi-amped configuration.

No difference audible between bi-wired and bi-amped.

Surely bi-amping should give more of a difference than bi-wiring?

Any ideas?

PS Please do not bother posting with "it's all in your mind", two of us
were in the room, both of us heard the same thing. And it goes against
what the assumption should be - bi-amping *should* produce an improvement,
yet it doesn't.

--
Glenn Richards Tel: (01453) 845735
Squirrel Solutions http://www.squirrelsolutions.co.uk/

IT consultancy, hardware and software support, broadband installation

I'm surprised by your experiments as in my experience I have found biamping
to improve the situation, as you can in most cases ditch the Xovers and put
filters at the input end of the amp where it makes more sense. Unlike others
here I have found (partial) biwiring to improve my system marginally -
between mid and high and not involving the LF. I biamp anyway beween bass &
mid/treble as my system cannot work on one stereo amp.
Just my 2p worth.

Mike