# To Bi-wire or not?



## Rob514 (Nov 26, 2014)

I'm a Yamahaphile of sorts, it's what I've been buying for the last 2 decades at least. I recently insisted to my girlfriend, "I want my big speaker HT again" I think she was tired of dusting it. Anyway I started with a pair of Yamaha NS-777s and was introduced to the Bi-wiring concept. At the time I had a Yamaha RX-V373 I bought with a HTIB and didnt like the idea of bi-wiring the speakers through a 5.1 system,I thought it was asking too much of 2 channels. So I ran out and got a Yamaha RX-V677 7.2 receiver so I could do this. My question is, is it worth losing 2 speakers to bi-wire one set of speakers?


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## Bigun (Dec 6, 2009)

My opinion is 'no' - not worth it. I'd say bi-wiring has marginal benefits at best. I don't know if this is hot topic on the forum, I just popped in today on that rare occasion so hopefully this isn't going to degenerate into a big argument !

I come from a hi-fi background, not cinema so my answer is based on sound quality related to music listening only. The real benefit comes if you remove the speaker cross-over and use a line-level cross-over upstream to before the power amplifier - and you aren't going to be doing that.

My advice is to keep it simple. Keep speaker cables as short as possible, use good quality connects on the end, avoid sharp bends and other stresses, keep them clean and dry.


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## willis7469 (Jan 31, 2014)

I think the general consensus is bi-wiring is a waste. Bi-amping with active crossovers seems to be the way.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

willis7469 said:


> I think the general consensus is bi-wiring is a waste. Bi-amping with active crossovers seems to be the way.


Agreed, and it needs to be done correctly and the cost is high to achieve it.


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## Rob514 (Nov 26, 2014)

and you aren't going to be doing that.


Um no Im not


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## NBPk402 (Feb 21, 2012)

tonyvdb said:


> Agreed, and it needs to be done correctly and the cost is high to achieve it.


It doesn't have to be expensive...A single MiniDSP can do a pair of 2 ways.


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## ajinfla (May 10, 2009)

Rob514 said:


> My question is, is it worth losing 2 speakers to bi-wire one set of speakers?


That isn't buywiring, which is running a pair of wires to the same speaker off a single amp terminal. What you are describing is passive bi-amping, which is using another pair of amp channels in your AVR to power the high and low legs of your speakers internal parallel XO, via the separate hi/low terminals on rear, jumpers removed.
There is zero valid audibility evidence for the former and questionable benefit for the latter.
However it certainly is possible that one could hear a difference with passive biamping under a string of conditions, vs impossible, as I addressed here.
That's with 2ch. With MCH soundfields, it becomes extremely doubtful.

cheers,


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## kingnoob (Mar 12, 2013)

willis7469 said:


> I think the general consensus is bi-wiring is a waste. Bi-amping with active crossovers seems to be the way.


Yeah thicker speaker wire is usefull if you are running long cables but , bi-wiring is useless.


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## imported_juiceblrc (Apr 15, 2008)

I have tried it and the difference if any is very minor.


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## imported_juiceblrc (Apr 15, 2008)

For $5 of speaker wire you could try it out.


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