Is this bi-amping, bi-wiring or something else?

[BrianZ]

My receiver (HK 3490) has speaker A & B outputs, which are independently selectable, and can both be on at the same time. My 2-way bookshelf speakers are bi-amp ready (4 terminals). So if I run Speaker A to the tweeters and Speaker B to the woofers, am I sort of bi-amping? Should I even bother? Any downsides?

 

[MakeMineVinyl]

Don't bother.The best you would be doing is "bi-wiring" which is kind of pointless.

 

[Lone Stranger]

What you described is basically bi-wiring. Don't bother and just use a single wire of decent thickness. If you do hook it up that way and select the A or B separately, you will get only low frequencies on one setting and only high frequencies on another setting. Bi-wire means simply "Buy more wire." Bi-amping is controlling the drivers separately with amplifiers set up for certain frequency ranges. The tweeters would be driven by an amplifier that handles high frequencies only and the woofers would be driven by amplifiers that handle low and midrange frequencies only. If your receiver does not specify anything about bi-amplifying, and I assume that to be the case then a single set of wires is all you need making sure the 2 separate connectors on the speakers are bridged.

 

[Botch]

What you described is basically bi-wiring. Don't bother and just use a single wire of decent thickness. If you do hook it up that way and select the A or B separately, you will get only low frequencies on one setting and only high frequencies on another setting. Bi-wire means simply "Buy more wire." Bi-amping is controlling the drivers separately with amplifiers set up for certain frequency ranges. The tweeters would be driven by an amplifier that handles high frequencies only and the woofers would be driven by amplifiers that handle low and midrange frequencies only. If your receiver does not specify anything about bi-amplifiying, and I assume that to be the case then a single set of wires is all you need making sure the 2 separate connectors on the speakers are bridged.

:laughing-lettersrofl:

 

[Rope]

JMO -
Bi-wiring is exactly what Lonestranger descibes, adding more copper. Bi-amping is doing half the job with very little if any results. To complete the job and reap the benefits of bi-amping, add active crossovers.

Rope

 

[Lone Stranger]

The gospel according to Flint

 

[BrianZ]

Cool. Thanks, all.

And just for my curiosity, what exactly is happening in an amp that has A & B channels? Sounds like it's definitely not separate amps from everyone's responses above? And what about those 5+ channel AV receivers?