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Gear / Technical Help => Playback Forum => Topic started by: dmonterisi on October 14, 2006, 09:41:44 AM

Title: Bi-amp speaker cable recommendations
Post by: dmonterisi on October 14, 2006, 09:41:44 AM
I currently have a 2 meter set of Kimber 8TC biwired cables terminated with spades on the amp end.  When my new receiver gets here next week, i will be bi-amp'ing the speakers.  looking for recommendations on cables.  I could just reterminate the Kimber cables, but willing to consider new cables.  I know some people use different cable types for the high run and the low run, not sure if this really matters.  I'd like to keep the cables under $500 total.  willing to do it myself as well.  suggestions appreciated.
Title: Re: Bi-amp speaker cable recommendations
Post by: pjdavep on October 14, 2006, 10:22:49 AM
I currently have a 2 meter set of Kimber 8TC biwired cables terminated with spades on the amp end.  When my new receiver gets here next week, i will be bi-amp'ing the speakers.  looking for recommendations on cables.  I could just reterminate the Kimber cables, but willing to consider new cables.  I know some people use different cable types for the high run and the low run, not sure if this really matters.  I'd like to keep the cables under $500 total.  willing to do it myself as well.  suggestions appreciated.

How would you reterminate the 8TC and bi-amp?  If you reterminated the cables, wouldn't that just be bi-wiring?   If you are going to add another run of cable, I'd suggest some 4TC for the highs and moving the 8TC to the mids/lows.  It's great cable for the money (good deals on A-gon all the time) and you'd be pretty far under the $500 budget, which is always a good thing  ;D

Later,
  pjdavep
Title: Re: Bi-amp speaker cable recommendations
Post by: dmonterisi on October 14, 2006, 10:29:36 AM

How would you reterminate the 8TC and bi-amp? 

i would cut off the factory spades and then reterminate the braids running to each termnal with new spades.  is there a reason that wouldn't work?  the way i understood this cable was that it was 2 separate runs of cable terminated together at the amp end.  is this understanding wrong?
Title: Re: Bi-amp speaker cable recommendations
Post by: Lil Kim Jong-Il on October 14, 2006, 10:51:32 AM
That should work fine.   

Are the strands color coded?  Test them to make sure that all four legs are completely independent before applying power.   

If you need any tools let me know.
Title: Re: Bi-amp speaker cable recommendations
Post by: Invisible on October 15, 2006, 11:28:31 PM
I currently have a 2 meter set of Kimber 8TC biwired cables terminated with spades on the amp end.  When my new receiver gets here next week, i will be bi-amp'ing the speakers.  looking for recommendations on cables.  I could just reterminate the Kimber cables, but willing to consider new cables.  I know some people use different cable types for the high run and the low run, not sure if this really matters.  I'd like to keep the cables under $500 total.  willing to do it myself as well.  suggestions appreciated.

What type of speakers do you have?
Title: Re: Bi-amp speaker cable recommendations
Post by: dmonterisi on October 16, 2006, 09:23:12 AM
I have B&W N804's and will be running an Arcam AVR350 when it arrives in the next week or so.
Title: Re: Bi-amp speaker cable recommendations
Post by: Invisible on October 16, 2006, 04:33:21 PM
I have B&W N804's and will be running an Arcam AVR350 when it arrives in the next week or so.

As I'm sure you know, you'll hear a world of difference when bi-amping. In my 2-channel listening room, I run a pair of McIntosh XRT-29's which are currently being tri-amped. With speakers that hungry they have really bloomed since tri-amping them. The only downside is the cost of running 3 different sets of speaker wires. That in itself damn near broke me! Good luck with the new setup.
Title: Re: Bi-amp speaker cable recommendations
Post by: dmonterisi on October 16, 2006, 04:48:53 PM

 I run a pair of McIntosh XRT-29's which are currently being tri-amped.


how are you triamping those beasts?  6 monoblocks?
Title: Re: Bi-amp speaker cable recommendations
Post by: Invisible on October 16, 2006, 04:51:29 PM

 I run a pair of McIntosh XRT-29's which are currently being tri-amped.


how are you triamping those beasts?  6 monoblocks?

Believe it or not, I have a set of the tri-chassis MC2KW mono-blocks on extended loan from the manufacturer.
Title: Re: Bi-amp speaker cable recommendations
Post by: dmonterisi on October 16, 2006, 04:54:38 PM

 I run a pair of McIntosh XRT-29's which are currently being tri-amped.


how are you triamping those beasts?  6 monoblocks?

Believe it or not, I have a set of the tri-chassis MC2KW mono-blocks on extended loan from the manufacturer.

holy friggin crap!  :o
Title: Re: Bi-amp speaker cable recommendations
Post by: Invisible on October 16, 2006, 05:00:05 PM

 I run a pair of McIntosh XRT-29's which are currently being tri-amped.


how are you triamping those beasts?  6 monoblocks?



Believe it or not, I have a set of the tri-chassis MC2KW mono-blocks on extended loan from the manufacturer.

holy friggin crap!  :o

They really are magnificent amps, but gettting them shipped to your house and then moving them inside to be setup is a whole other story. I'm not a big solid state guy, but to me, these are the finest solid state amps I have personally listened to. A tad bit over kill though don't you think.
Title: Re: Bi-amp speaker cable recommendations
Post by: dmonterisi on October 16, 2006, 05:12:19 PM
I don't know why you'd ever think that 2000 watts per channel could be overkill.  ;D

edit: could you post some pics of this setup for me to drool over?
Title: Re: Bi-amp speaker cable recommendations
Post by: Invisible on October 16, 2006, 05:17:44 PM
I don't know why you'd ever think that 2000 watts per channel could be overkill.  ;D

edit: could you post some pics of this setup for me to drool over?

Sure. My nice camera is at work, but I'll bring it home in the next couple of days and shoot some pictures to post.
Title: Re: Bi-amp speaker cable recommendations
Post by: Invisible on October 16, 2006, 05:21:58 PM
I could post a picture of the home theater in the meantime, though all I have is my crappy camera phone...
Title: Re: Bi-amp speaker cable recommendations
Post by: dmonterisi on October 16, 2006, 05:22:39 PM
awesome.  i note that you said this was your 2 channel room...are you running a HT/surround room as well??

also, i just came across your audioquest cable sale...wish i had seen it sooner and grabbed your sub cable.  i may be interested in the analog interconnects.  am i reading your ad right that you have 3 x (2 x 1m sets), so 6 cables total?  gotta sort out some other purchases first though (just ordered room treatments today).
Title: Re: Bi-amp speaker cable recommendations
Post by: dmonterisi on October 16, 2006, 05:23:21 PM
I could post a picture of the home theater in the meantime, though all I have is my crappy camera phone...

nah, i'd like to see all of it, but just wait til you have a chance to take decent photos. thanks!
Title: Re: Bi-amp speaker cable recommendations
Post by: Invisible on October 16, 2006, 05:36:56 PM
awesome.  i note that you said this was your 2 channel room...are you running a HT/surround room as well??

also, i just came across your audioquest cable sale...wish i had seen it sooner and grabbed your sub cable.  i may be interested in the analog interconnects.  am i reading your ad right that you have 3 x (2 x 1m sets), so 6 cables total?  gotta sort out some other purchases first though (just ordered room treatments today).

Yeah, I have a 2-channel setup for listening and a 7.1 setup for movies in another room. You read the ad correctly. I have 3 sets of 1m Diamondbacks RCA interconnects as well as 2 3m sub-1 cables.

For some reason though I can't seem to figure out how to get the pictures off of my phone and onto my computer. Still working on this...
Title: Re: Bi-amp speaker cable recommendations
Post by: Invisible on October 16, 2006, 05:38:02 PM
I could post a picture of the home theater in the meantime, though all I have is my crappy camera phone...

nah, i'd like to see all of it, but just wait til you have a chance to take decent photos. thanks!

Cool. I'm having issues with the phone anyway...