Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Technical Questions Using bi-wire cable with M3ti's

Hi, everyone.
Just got some MIT cable from this buddy of mine who's "minimalizing" and would like try it out with my M3's. Is this possible to do, or should I just store them 'til I get different speakers in the future?

-box-

Bi-wiring is a pretty funny phenomenon in the audiophile world. I've read quite a few statements by those that use bi-wires regarding their intention of by-passing the speakers' internal cross-overs. Others claim to be isolating the high and low frequency signals from each other in transmission.

If you do a bit of research into VERY basic electrical circuit theory, you'll realize quickly that there is no real difference between bi-wiring and using standard cables. A basic node-voltage analysis will demonstrate that, so long as both ends of the wire on the amp side are attached to the same terminal, the signal at the speaker ends will be identical. In this way, the speaker is receiving the same signal at the dual terminals whether they are connected by a little plate or a common connection on the amp side.

The only real possible difference would be in resistive loads when comparing wire straight to both sets of terminals in the speaker versus a single wire to one terminal and a connecting plate to the other terminal. Of course, the difference is so minute compared to the load of the hardware as to make it ridiculously trivial.

If you wish to use the speakers, simply attach both pairs of connectors to the same terminals on the back of your M3's.

Hey Semi

Have you ever tried bi-wiring to prove your findings? And to disprove that all those audiophiles have been spending thousands on useless Nordost cables and biring them.
And what is your thought on bi-amping?

Saturn

I have heard a biwired setup and it was no different than any other day of listening.

Semi's explanation of the theory is correct.
A sound signal from a single source cannot magically be split simply by making the cable ends at the speakers split into 4. All speaker posts would still receive the same signal and the speaker's internal crossovers would determine what range of sound is played by each driver. Of course by the time a crossover begins to work, the cable is no longer in the chain of events and has no influence on sound.

Biamping is a different story. You are essentially powering the drivers with different units hence each driver is actually receiving its own unique signal. Even still, if the amp blocks used were the same, i highly doubt you would notice such a vast difference that it would matter.

Yes I have, Saturn. When I first got into the more expensive equipment and moved out of the Best Buy arena, several of the sales people tried to sell me on expensive cables and bi-wiring. Being a EE and fully aware of how the signal was being transmitted, I wasn't about to buy their word on it. I had them switch them out without me able to see what they were doing and I told them not to speak while doing it. It's not as good as double-blnd but certainly better than spending $2k and convincing myself I heard a difference to justify my purchase. Neither cable sounded appreciably better to me at all.

I then turned it on the sales people. Neither of the two that had been trying to sell me on were able to even pick the cables out beyond blind guessing and they were never consistent on what they prefered.

As such, I turn it around on you. Have YOU ever done a double blind?

I neglected the bi-amp thing.

Provided both amplifiers are receiving the same signal from the same terminal on the pre-amp, any differences between the final signal would be the result of nothing more than variation in manufacturing. Provided both amps were the same model, no self respecting manufacturer should have dramatic differences between their finished goods. You still aren't bypassing the cross-over. An internal filter still must be employed by the speaker.

Now, if different amps are used with different characteristics for a specific outcome, a difference could be possible. Whether that difference was "better" would be another issue entirely.