bi-amping my components

[smashedz28 110]

I just received a set of fosgate t1 components. They have a bi amp switch on the crossover...this is new to me I've never done it. I eRad the manual and it appears I need either a 4 ch amp or 2 -2 ch amps. So I switch it to biamp 'on position and basically run the tweets with a set of channels and the miss with another through the supplied crossover.. is that it? What are the advantages of doing this vs not bi-amping?

[smashedz28 110]

Sorry for spelling this tablet spell checks like crazy and its a pain in the ass to go back and fix

[steveo50 3]

interesting question. id thing it was for running active? from what i under stand it is running tweets on a channel and running the actual speakers on a channel. I MAY BE WRONG!but thats what i think this means.

[smashedz28 110]

That's what the book says but its still using the same passive crossovers.. just not sure I understand it all. Unsure if that's something I may be interested in or not

[CrazyKenKid 64]

I am pretty sure bi-amping is for running active aka 1 channel controlling 1 speaker at a time

if bi-amping is off you will be running 1 set of speakers off of one channel on the amp!

so essentially you can use a 2-channel amp (cheaper) to power a single set of components or you can buy a 4 channel and run 2-sets of components off of a single 4 channel amp! does that make sense?

currently I have 2-sets of components running off of a single 4 channel amp!

and those 8 speakers, Zapco RB 5.25 are being run with this amp! (sax 100.4)

i guess you can call my speaker configuration setup passive!

[RXdriver11 2]

What crazykenkid said. Bi- amp allows you to power the tweets separate from the mids. Leave it off unless you plan to run 2 amps and do an active like setup.

[Impious 1,476]

Clarification of terms:

Bi-amping is not necessarily active. Bi-amping in general would mean essentially powering each speaker individually with it's own independent amplifier channel. In this case it simply means you are able to power the mid and tweeter independently (with separate amplifier channels) via the passive crossover, but it is still using the passive crossover. Active means you are using a preamp level electronic (non-passive) crossover, which necessitates powering each speaker independently. Active would still technically be "bi-amping", but bi-amping via a passive crossover is not the same thing as bi-amping via an active crossover. The terms bi-amping and active are not interchangeable.

The benefit to passive bi-amping is rather negligible. About the most meaningful benefit would be the ability to better control the level matching between the tweeter and mid by having the ability to independently adjust the level of each amplifier via the gain. Aside from that, there isn't much. If my options where to use a 75w per channel 4-channel amplifier to passively bi-amp a comp set or bridge the amp for 350w per side, I would choose the later (assuming there wasn't an egregious difference in tweeter/mid level matching).

[smashedz28 110]

Thanks for explaining impious. I understood how it worked it just threw me off still using the passives. I'm no closer to a decision yet lol, but I got a little bit to think about now.don't really plan to run an active setup because its something I don't totally understand but I'm thinking if I run this set bi amped through the passive maybe at a future date I can just cut out the passive and go from there if I choose to jump into an active setup...

[Impious 1,476]

Or you could get a 4-channel amp, bridge it to the passives and if you ever decide to run active just rerun speaker wires.

[smashedz28 110]

That's an option too. That damn zed 4 ch sold here is haunting me... expensive for my tastes but seem like one hell of an amp.. draconia-II.. I'm tempted to splurge for that thing. Been a while since I've owned a quality amplifier

[smashedz28 110]

Or you could get a 4-channel amp, bridge it to the passives and if you ever decide to run active just rerun speaker wires.

Let me ask you this.. these components are rated for 100 rms. I was planning on a 100w x 4 amp.. bridging it would obviously go well over rated power.. I could set the gains appropriately but why?.. 100 per ch is unbridged.. am I missing something.

[An-i-no 86]

From personal experience...it very well may "wake your speakers up." You won't know until you try but for me it made a huge difference in clarity and loudness....of course.

[Impious 1,476]

Or you could get a 4-channel amp, bridge it to the passives and if you ever decide to run active just rerun speaker wires.

Let me ask you this.. these components are rated for 100 rms. I was planning on a 100w x 4 amp.. bridging it would obviously go well over rated power.. I could set the gains appropriately but why?.. 100 per ch is unbridged.. am I missing something.

Headroom

Read the above. Personally I'm a huge fan of running way to much power. I'm running 600w per side to my passives, and have for a long time. Why not give yourself the most headroom capabilities you can?

[smashedz28 110]

Understood. More power is good.. thanks for responding.