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In Reply to: Biamping N802: is 55W tube enough for mid/highs? posted by topher_m on May 3, 2007 at 15:21:30:
My own take on biamping is that the real benefit is not that one can deliver more power, and hence, get more volume. I like what a good biamping job does for dynamics and a sense of liveliness at all volume levels, particularly lower volume.By the way, whet I am referring to is "active" biamping -- using a line level crossover to split the signal and feed separate bass and midrange/tweeter amplifiers. 55 good quality watts would then be plenty for the mid/high end. Most of the power demand is from about 150 Hz on down anyway, and the common point where the combination of low speaker impedance and difficult phase angle will also be below that frequency. The amp feeding the higher frequencies has a much easier job, albeit a very important job.
Follow Ups:
First off - I've not heard one passively multiamped system that didn't sound a lot better for it. Even with spkrs with lossy and complex electrically asymmetric HP/LP xovers!Mind you, and OTOH, spkr systems with simple or minimal xover systems benefit even more from multi-amping. EG all the EPOS models with HP for the treble ONLY, and spkrs with 1st order only xovers.
Yes, passive xovers waste power but all amplifiers waste mains power, no?
It is entirely possible - despite the quality of B&W's own drivers, that there is still some Eq in the N802, certainly adjustments for individual driver's variations on L, R and C with freq, possibly asymmetric electrical slopes, let alone FS traps!
I doubt - unless you have the measurement skills and judgement of B&W - that you are at all likely to get a better result with any active xover especially ones for sale to 'philes. Active xovers may appeal to you because they are prima fcaie better, but as with everything this may very well DEPEND, no?
IF B&W make an active xover for the N802 then the owner has that option.
Please stop making blanket satemenets that only active multi-amping can be taken seriously. Heaps of people have heard that passive works AND also won't lose any of the designed-in voicing of OEM passive spkrs.I would agree that active is almost always better for the LP on subs but IME if you don't HP filter the main pair with an active HP filter the mains usually sound more clear.
Exceptions being small ported 2-ways, in some systems where thay are being driven hard all the time, but all you need to do is block the ports, and reset the LP to the sub for a good blend.
WarmestTimbo in Oz
The Skyptical Mensurer and Audio ScroungerAnd gladly would he learn and gladly teach - Chaucer. ;-)!
'Still not saluting.'
BSS FDS360, Klark Teknik DN800 and possibly some EAW units.
You can have any crossover configuration you like incl. overlapping pass bands etc.
Parametric and shelving eq cards are also available if necessary and the phase response is adjustable through 360deg. And of course the output levels for each band are adjustable by 12dB.
Can't think of anything else that would require adjusting other then a time delay but you really do not want to implement that passively in the first place anyway.
Still need to know exactly what the passive crossover to be replaced does though otherwise one would still mess things up.
Unfortunately neither of these units is still being made having been replaced with digital units which do not require specific crossover and eq cards.
I've not heard ANY form of biamping on the N802, I was just pointing out what I've heard over the years with other speakers. The active biamping I've listened to was either specifically designed for a system, by the manufacturer, or expensive custom-built designs (usually based on old marantz tube design or on Western Electric designs).I should have noted that it IS easier to screw up a speaker's sound with active crossovers that are poorly designed and which do not consider all of the "tuning" done with complex elements of crossover.
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