2. amps-preamps
  3. 1004708691

"Double" bi-amping a good idea?

I am running two Bel Canto 200.2 amps in mono with my Martin Logan Prodigy speakers. Each speaker has one amp, so I guess this is called vertical bi-amping.
The Prodigy are pretty power hungry beasts, so here comes my question, since I have a chance to buy another pair of used Bel Cantos quite cheap: What about two amps per speaker? One amp for the treble and one amp for the bass per speaker. Could I further improve the sound or is this money wasted?
tekunda
plato
1,543 posts
 
If you really want to improve your sound sell the Bel Cantos and buy an InnerSound ESL amp. The ESL amp was specifically designed to drive the complex loads that electrostatic hybrids present, and a single stereo ESL amp will give you just as much power (if not more) than the 4 bridged Bel Cantos you are considering. If you did a vertical bi-amp with two ESL amps you'd have more power/volume than your ears could possibly stand and better sound to boot.
plato
1,543 posts
 
Tekunda, another thing to try before you buy anything else would be to use the Bel Canto amps in their stereo mode to drive the ESL panel and bass section of each speaker separately. This is the configuration for vertical bi-amping -- right now, with the amps in mono you are horizontal bi-amping. My guess is that vertical biamping would result in better quality sound -- not louder -- but better. Try that and let us know what you think. If that still doesn't float your boat then you may want to consider my previous suggestion of going to the InnerSound amps. I doubt that using two pairs of the Bel Canto amps will give you what you are looking for.
mgottlieb
334 posts
 
I can't comment on your speaker-amp combination, but years ago I tried it with 2 pair of the original BEL 1001s and a pair of B & W 808s, and even thogh the speakers were quite efficient, there was a noticeable gain in clarity in the midrange and control and definition in the bass,
plato
1,543 posts
 
As a slight correction to earlier comments, Tekunda's current configuration is not really what is considered bi-amping, rather, it is bridging or monoblocking since one amp drives each speaker full range. This further complicates the impedance issues by effectively halving the already low impedance presented to the amplifier...
That's why my suggestion of putting the amps back to stereo mode and vertical bi-amping makes a whole lot of sense in this case.
gregm
3,021 posts
 
I second Plato's vertical bi-amping suggestion -- before you invest any further. Use an (external) electronic crossover b/ween pre & amp, and check out the sound.

Good luck!
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