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  1. #1
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    Newbie Bi-wiring question

    I have read all the biwiring posts below and don't want to buy into all the pro and anti views because I have no experience, but I would like to get some advice.

    In Nov 04 I bought B&W speakers and Musical Fidelity amp which both allow for bi-wiring. At the moment I only have one set of cables to the speakers - the thickest that the speaker posts on the equipment can accomodate. Now that I've had them for a couple of months, I'd like to experiment with bi-wiring.

    Now, could someone advise me if its OK to use different thickness wires for the two runs, or do they have to be the same? I have spare cables but they are about half the thickness of the cables already attached.

    Thanks in advance.
    Last edited by StanleyMuso; 02-08-2005 at 08:19 PM. Reason: spelling error

  2. #2
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    Yes and No

    The answer to this question depends entirely on where you fall in the biwiring debate. Personally, as a Licensed Professional Engineer I think most people are wasting their time and money unless they are using an outboard crossover and separate amps - then biwiring can make a difference. However, most people just run 2 sets of cables from the common amp terminals to the 4 posts on the speaker, which doesn't do a whole lot except increase the cable companies' profits.

    If you buy into the pro-biwiring theory, then you'll probably want identical cables of equal length. If you're more practical, then the answer is use the cables you have to see what happens. If you're truly interested in figuring out if it makes a difference, have someone else hook them up (or not hook them up) several times and do some listening. Not a perfect DBT but better than nothing. If you consistently can identify (and like) the biwired condition, then you can start looking at getting matching cables.

    Jeff

  3. #3
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    Thanks DrJeff

    I have read many pro and against arguments over the years, and I do understand the reservations put forward by engineers such as yourself, but I have no pesonal experience in this matter so, being of an enquiring nature, I don't mind experimenting a little myself. However, I also believe in value for money, so I'm not about to outlay my hard earned money on dubious cables which may or may not improve my system.

    However, since I already have spares lying around from my previous system, I thought I'd give it a go. The only thing that worried me was the possibility that the two runs, being of different thicknesses, may somehow adversely affect my equipment. However, if there is no danger, I will give it a try and see what happens.

  4. #4
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    Go for it!

    Experiment all you like...while there may be minute, miniscule, essentially negligible (we're talking way to the right of the decimal point) differences in the electrical characteristics in the differing cables, you would never percieve these (there is one moron out there who says he can tell the difference in 1 foot of cable).

    As long as the wire is of adequate AWG, good quality copper, and not defective, you should not damage your system (unless you did something really bad like run 100W RMS low frequency signal to your HF driver).

    A good quality speaker cable will be acoustically transparent, neither adding to nor subtracting from the output signal at the amp. There are many cables that color the sound in one way or another - some like it, some don't. Personally I always say save the money on high-end cables and IC's, get some well built sturdy ones but don't break the bank, and spend more on speakers, room treatments, etc. You can change a lot more through simply moving a speaker 6 inches or putting a reflective or absorptive surface on a wall than you ever could through biwiring.

    Jeff

  5. #5
    Forum Regular Monstrous Mike's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by StanleyMuso
    The only thing that worried me was the possibility that the two runs, being of different thicknesses, may somehow adversely affect my equipment. However, if there is no danger, I will give it a try and see what happens.
    There is nothing to worry about regarding different thicknesses of wires for the purpose of biwring.


    Quote Originally Posted by StanleyMuso
    I have no pesonal experience in this matter so, being of an enquiring nature, I don't mind experimenting a little myself.
    There is something to keep in mind here regarding your testing/experimenting. It is sometimes difficult to compare two things, especially if the difference is small. The way in which you conduct your experiment will have a very large factor in the outcome being somewhat valid.

    The chief concern, IMO, is being aware of what you are listening to. If you are aware, then part of your brain is already making decisions on what it may or may not perceive. So, one simple way to reduce this effect is to have a buddy change the wires between single and biwired. Then if you simply sit on the couch and listen to whatever music you want to play, you'll have a less biased means of evaluating what you are hearing. And do several tests and tell your buddy to mix it up. For example, he could go back and pretend he changed something but not do anything. As well, you want to control as many variables as you can. Listen at the exact same volume each time, make sure the speakers aren't moved, listen from the exact some place each time, same musical passage, etc. The more variables you control, the more likely the results will be valid.

    Think of it like this. When people compare things like in a chili cookoff, the testers don't see the chili samples labelled like "This is Uncle Jim's chili". They see something like "This is chili number 4". That way, any biases are reduced.

    I say use different gauge wires, do the test with a buddy to try and eliminate knowing what your are listening to, control some variables and have some fun. Let us know how it turns out.
    Friends help friends move,
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  6. #6
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    One more question

    Thanks for all thoughtful responses. I'll let you know how I go - it won't be for a while as I'm having some work and family complications at the moment.

    One more question to test your patience - I'm using bare wire, so would it be advisable to put a little bit of solder on the ends to prevent oxidation? Or would this increase resistence in the connections?

    Thanks again.

  7. #7
    Forum Regular Monstrous Mike's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by StanleyMuso
    Thanks for all thoughtful responses. I'll let you know how I go - it won't be for a while as I'm having some work and family complications at the moment.

    One more question to test your patience - I'm using bare wire, so would it be advisable to put a little bit of solder on the ends to prevent oxidation? Or would this increase resistence in the connections?

    Thanks again.
    Adding solder should not change the resistance enough to matter. Oxidation can be a problem with copper wire and it really depends on the temperature and humidity of your room. Usually, it takes a year or more to get any significant oxidation. It's probably easier just to keep an eye on your connections and trim them when they start looking brown or green.
    Friends help friends move,
    Good friends help friends move bodies....

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