drick

---------------- On 10/15/2004 10:42:10 AM colterphoto1 wrote: okay, even IF bi-wiring improves the sound emanating from the speakers, pray tell how on earth does it improve amplifier performance, other than possibly the infintessimal effect of lowering the impedence load ever-so-slightly? ""Email 2 - Thanks for your reply and we do thank you for your recent purchase of Klipsch speakers. Since our engineers go to the extra time and expense to design and configure the crossover networks for bi-wire capability...yes, I would use the bi-wire configuration. This will typically also allow the amplifiers to operate and function more efficiently too...an extra benefit. Thank you again for the email and I hope you enjoy your new speakers for many years to come." And in what ways are the crossover network configured that would make any difference whether you bi-wired or not?? IMHO, it's still all snake oil. ---------------- colter, i'm just passing it on. it does make me feel a LITTLE better that the vendor recommends this as well. that would take the greedy sales guy theory and diminish it a bit. it doesn't speak to the religious war or brand name cables vs. brand x cables theory, but i wouldn't expect him to speak to that, it's not his product or job. it takes the dumb consumer theory, and.. well, i guess i'm still a dumb consumer.

the luxury (or curse) i have is that i don't actually HAVE any of this gear yet. we move into our new house in 15 days, and i was trying to get ahead of this. unfortunately, this seems to be completely subjective to the listener. i am REALLY curious now, and have contacted Sony, Klipsch, and Monster Cable to see what their official responses are. ---------------- ok, 1st "official" response received back by one of my vendors. According to Klipsch Tech Support: Email 1 - "The flagship RF-7 and RC-7 along with most all of our bookshelf, center and floorstanding Reference Series speakers have the capability for bi-wire or bi-amp wiring with the two sets of speaker connectors. From the factory we ship these with the jumper straps attached and if you do bi-wire these with the cable you purchased, just remove the jumper straps and tuck them away with your owners manual. Yes, there likely is a 50/50 opinion about bi-wire, speaker wire in general, and of course Heritage Vs Reference Series products among some other varying views on the Forum (a great resource for most things...lots of great folk on there). Among the people here in tech support and some of our engineers, they do bi-wire as most prefer this to standard single wire connection. I think you would appreciate this with the RF-7 and RC-7's." Email 2 - Thanks for your reply and we do thank you for your recent purchase of Klipsch speakers. Since our engineers go to the extra time and expense to design and configure the crossover networks for bi-wire capability...yes, I would use the bi-wire configuration. This will typically also allow the amplifiers to operate and function more efficiently too...an extra benefit. Thank you again for the email and I hope you enjoy your new speakers for many years to come.

---------------- On 10/15/2004 1:24:00 AM scriven wrote: Drick, In his pps meuge is talking about building interconnect cables using silver for the conductor instead of copper. Silver has a higher conductivity that copper. The downside is that silver is a precious metal and costs big $$$$. ---------------- Scriven, now THAT makes sense. Thanks for translating. Wouldn't that kind of defeat the whole purpose of going to "cheap" non name brand cables?

I was going through the Monstercable website to find some specs for the HTS3600 aside from the maximum power handling (to compare to Furman, who publish every last spec) and even in the manual I couldn't find anything. I would say that FURMAN PL-PLUSD II SMP ($191) is probably as much as you'd ever want to hang on a 15A socket. The only thing is that unlike Monstercable, Furman units do not clean coaxial cable lines. I have a Monster HTS800 ($70) - their cheapest unit which I got before I learned about Furman, and it does a great job cleaning up the picture on the analog cable TV. However, going for a $500 MonsterPower unit instead of a $200 Furman just to clean coax is probably overkill. If you're not on satellite or digital cable you can always buy an HTS800 to clean the cable, and still save over $200... or better yet - switch to digital cable P.S. Another important point is this - don't be in a hurry to buy expensive interconnects (like expensive optical or coaxial digital) or RCA analog cables. While the quality of the interconnects matters a lot more than the quality of the speaker wire, Monster is definitely not the way to go here as well. You could have excellent Acoustic Research Master-series interconnects for a lot less than the monster units, and I doubt you'd ever need something better. P.P.S. While you read the above paragraph, take what I say with a grain of salt - some of the silver-wire-based cables that cost a lot more than Moster may indeed be a significant improvement. As a matter of fact I am currently working on my own silver-wire-based interconnects (all of my cables are DIY). But I don't think I'd buy them at their retail prices (I will probably wind up spending around $100 to build the two pairs of unbalanced analog RCA cables I need, using 28-gauge silver. I have never heard silver-based cables, so I am primarily building these out of curiousity, to see if they actually live up to the hype. Plus I like building things in general. ---------------- I couldn't even get the (*&%)(*^) manuals to download earlier! I am on Direct TV digital satellite, and just got the HD DTV DVR as well, so that does pose an interesting dilemma now. I'll never go to digital cable, i love DTV. p.s. I just got done buying glass fibre interconnects (http://stores.ebay.com/24-7-MINIDISCS_W0QQsspagenameZl2QQtZkm ) that are 1/3 the cost of the THX monster cables i had before, so i'll be returning those next week. That just leaves the DVI / HDMI interconnects at this point. I looked at Acoustic Research's website, and they don't offer either of these connectors, so that kind of rules them out. p.p.s. you are way over my head on that one, i'm going to just agree with you on that.

---------------- On 10/14/2004 10:49:52 AM meuge wrote: To answer your first question, I'd say biwiring is probably unnecessary, but if you have the money there really isn't a reason NOT to do it - it's not going to hurt anything. Just remember to remove the brass jumper from the binding posts if you're biwiring. As for the Monster HTS power center, I hear they're good units, albeit overpriced. One can find really nice 20A Furman power conditioners for a couple of hundred, and while Monster is a newcomer, Furman is THE authority on power conditioning equipment. But if you don't want to bother with returning it and getting other stuff, the HTS 3600 will work just fine. ---------------- meuge, what would a comparable furman unit to monsters 3600 or their 5100 which is where i am going to end up after i return all of my THX optical cables probably? maybe the pm-pro series II?

---------------- On 10/11/2004 11:32:15 AM drick wrote: Hi, I need some assistance on speaker wire connections for my speakers (RF-7's, RC-7, RB-75's, RS-7's, and RSW-15). I had selected the Monster Cable THX 1000 series for all of speakers, but the sales guy said that i should change to "bi wire" for the fronts and center? Looking for some input on this. I pulled down all of the owners manuals for my speakers, and they aren't very helpful. Here is what i had originally (AV receiver, DirecTV Satellite receiver, TV, PS2, DVD): • Monster THX 1000 Component - ULT V1000 CV-16 x2 • Monster THX 1000 Optical - ULT I1000FO-8 x3 • Monster THX 1000 Speaker - ULT S1000MT-10/10 x3 • Monster THX 1000 Speaker - ULT S1000MT-20/20 x4 • Monster THX 1000 Sub - ULT SUB1000-25 x1 ---------------- Here is another twist to this, i am running this thread in parallel on another Sony focused forum, and someone ther brought up a good point. according to that post, jmmybootoo states that speaker wires should be "matched lengths of cable joined at the amps binding post". obviously i have this covered on my fronts and centers, but i wonder about my surrounds and rears now? should they also be matched with same type/length cables?

---------------- On 10/12/2004 12:16:17 PM D-MAN wrote: I am not one who thinks that wire is just wire, BUT: I think that high quality INTERCONNECTS are more important and provide more bang-for-the-buck performance than high quality speaker CABLES do to the overall system sound. DM ---------------- dman, what would you suggest for video interconnects? I need hdmi to dvi connections, and a dvi to dvi connection, so far here is what i have: Monster 400 for HDMI : HDMI to DVI Video Cable - HDMI400/DVI-6M x2 & Monster DVI400 Super-High Performance DVI-D Video Cable for HDTV - DVI400-5M x1

---------------- On 10/12/2004 9:43:13 AM bchild311 wrote: Great, great system! You will love that Sony TV! Glad you decided on the Ref 7's too. Hey I'd be interested to know how you like that Sony amp too. Give us a review on your new system once you have a chance to give it the once over. This is exciting. It's almost like getting your own stuff! WOOHOOOOOOOOOO! ---------------- Yeah, i am REALLY excited about the system, but the one thing that never changed in all of my iterations was the TV. i think that TV is the best one i saw hands down. I will definitely post the reviews in 15 days when we move in and i get everything set up.

---------------- On 10/14/2004 7:34:29 PM colterphoto1 wrote: I dunno, I just strip and 'tin' the ends by applying solder to keep wires from fraying. Why spend hard earned $$$ for gold-plated, super jumbo 'Monster' fancy-schmancy ends that you'll never see or hear again. Re your wiring question, my wires are the brand ESOTERIC, totally green inside, unlike my 16 ga rat shack zip cord- what gives? ---------------- well, the thing is, i already spent the money. i just want to make sure i couldn't have bought something else that was better for a similiar amount. if i was on a budget, or worried that i got gouged i might waffle a bit more, but these are already "on the way", so i'll just see how it goes.

---------------- On 10/14/2004 2:39:56 PM meuge wrote: ---------------- On 10/14/2004 11:33:24 AM drick wrote: WOO HOO!! success!! just kidding, but i'm glad to hear that i'm not going down the wrong path on something! Let me ask you this, if i was to return all my expensive cables, and go with something else (i.e. cheaper), would it make sense to upgrade to the next level (stage 4) of power filter? that one is only $100 more (list) ---------------- Well here's a question - how much money would you save if your speaker cables cost you around $65 *50ft of Acoustic Research Pro II is what I use and is around $30-35 shipped from accessories4less: http://www.accessories4less.com/Amazing/itemdesc.asp?CartId=9268-EVEREST-052KOXRF390&ic=PR%2D222&cc=&tpc= *Plus you need 12 bananas which I buy here: http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=263-584 I like crimp-on terminals much more than compression terminals because they give me a feeling of a more secure connection, but you can browse for others. Take a look at this Furman unit at partsexpress.com. http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=248-755 It's only $277 w. free shipping and is probably all the power conditioning your rack will ever need if your circuit is a 20amp one. If your circuit is 15A, you just need this $191 unit: http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=248-752 Or if you're in the mood, you can go for this conditioner which also does voltage regulation for about $500 (a bit excessive in my opinion): http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=248-756 See how it compares to the price of your Monster unit. From a quick Google search it seems that you probably paid $400-450 for the HTS3600. Perhaps if you save money on the power conditioner, as well as the speaker wire, you can upgrade your front end equipment (receiver or processor/preamp/amp), or get Dean to build you upgraded RF-7 crossovers. Btw - you haven't told us what equipment you're going to be using to drive the 7s. ---------------- well, if i bagged all of the cables i bought, probably closer to $500+ would be recovered. the power converter was something like that, so in theory those 2 combined would be close to $1000. sorry, that info is another string. there will be a Sony STR-DA9000ES pushing this entire system

---------------- On 10/14/2004 10:49:52 AM meuge wrote: ---------------- On 10/14/2004 2:01:36 AM drick wrote: meuge, thanks for the input. i have a few further questions for you. 1. taking the money aspect out of it, would you say that regardless whether it is monster cable or brand x cable that i should explore the bi wire aspect of my system up front? 2. i did invest in a power conditioning unit as well with my system, although i hesitate to tell you what it is.. i got the "Monster Home Theatre Reference PowerCenter™ HTS 3600 with Clean Power™ Stage 3 v2.0" unit with my system. http://www.monstercable.com/power/productPagePower.asp?pin=1315 ---------------- To answer your first question, I'd say biwiring is probably unnecessary, but if you have the money there really isn't a reason NOT to do it - it's not going to hurt anything. Just remember to remove the brass jumper from the binding posts if you're biwiring. As for the Monster HTS power center, I hear they're good units, albeit overpriced. One can find really nice 20A Furman power conditioners for a couple of hundred, and while Monster is a newcomer, Furman is THE authority on power conditioning equipment. But if you don't want to bother with returning it and getting other stuff, the HTS 3600 will work just fine. ---------------- WOO HOO!! success!! just kidding, but i'm glad to hear that i'm not going down the wrong path on something! Let me ask you this, if i was to return all my expensive cables, and go with something else (i.e. cheaper), would it make sense to upgrade to the next level (stage 4) of power filter? that one is only $100 more (list)

---------------- On 10/14/2004 9:53:05 AM ygmn wrote: Try it with regular speaker wire first...then try it with some fancy stuff... And tell us what you think...for me...regular is fine..... I have 10 awg...stuff I found on net for about 35 CENTS a foot....I do not biwire either...as to me it all gets connected back together inside the CROSSOVER....so why bother.... ---------------- the luxury (or curse) i have is that i don't actually HAVE any of this gear yet. we move into our new house in 15 days, and i was trying to get ahead of this. unfortunately, this seems to be completely subjective to the listener. i am REALLY curious now, and have contacted Sony, Klipsch, and Monster Cable to see what their official responses are.

---------------- On 10/14/2004 2:37:24 AM DeanG wrote: At the end of those cables, inside of your speakers -- are these: http://www.partsexpress.com/images/016-022m.jpg" valign="middle"> http://www.partsexpress.com/images/027-427m.jpg" valign="middle"> All of your "music" goes through parts with wire like you see above. Inside of your receiver, amp, preamp, etc., you probably have one of these: http://www.partsexpress.com/images/071-625m.jpg" valign="middle"> Just imagine -- all of your "music" -- being squished through such an itty bitty teensy weensy little wire. Think. ---------------- dean, just read through all your repsonses to the other 5 page bi wire debate, i see your POV.

---------------- On 10/14/2004 4:16:33 AM cmdridq wrote: If you want to know more about bi-wiring and what people think of it, you should read the "explain Bi-wire??" thread in the Home Theater Forum. I think the last date it was updated was 9/16. http://forums.klipsch.com/idealbb/view.asp?topicID=31998&sessionID={7ADE022C-510C-430C-AC9A-CB87277EF2E3} ---------------- holy crap. well i don't feel bad for being confused. there seem to be a LOT of people in the same boat on this issue. i'm only on page 3/5 on the thread, and haven't come to any clear conclusion EXCEPT that people are split down the middle on this. sigh

---------------- On 10/14/2004 1:17:48 AM colterphoto1 wrote: yer speakers are bi-wired INTERNALLY, to get the full ahem 'advantage' of biwiring you need to run two sets of speakers from each amp output to each speaker. Personally, I don't believe in it, just get good quality wire with good terminators. BTW, I have about 100 feet of 'Esoteric' brand highly-stranded, supposedly oxygen-free 'monster' cables that are totally green with corrosion. I just moved my system and was changing the lengths of some speaker leads and it didn't matter where you cut and stripped the wire, it was totally corroded! what a gyp! Michael ---------------- Hey Michael, i think the light bulb just came on for me.. Since i already bought the cables, i'm going to roll the dice, and try to achieve the "advantage". Would you agree that those cables with the Monster QuickLock Gold Banana Connectors For Easy Self Crimping Terminations (part # QL GMT-H x4) http://www.monstercable.com/productPage.asp?pin=1272, would qualify as good terminators? Crap, that is not very encouraging. Am i understanding that esoteric doesn't = monster cable, or am i missing the gist of what you are saying? Did you have it run in the floor, ceiling, what? How long was it in there between installation and now? Did it get wet? What do i need to be careful of?

---------------- On 10/14/2004 12:56:13 AM nicholtl wrote: Meuge has many excellent points, as always. However, I am a HUGE proponent of investing in high quality cables. And I'm probably among the minority here to believe in what is commonly referred to as "voodoo," "smoke and mirrors," and "snake oil." But in my opinion, it doesn't, after all, really matter how much power conditioning, vibration dampening, or uber-expensive source components you have humming in your rack, if the very component running the signal from your mountain of Pride & Joy to your speakers is compromised, done "on the cheap," and acquired by the lowest bidder. The Monster Z2-Series wiring is a very solid product. Be happy with your purchase, because I sure as hell would with those terrific speaker cables. Although there's nothing wrong with this, many enthusiasts will do their research, run out and buy quality components, and hook it all up with 12AWG lamp cord. What you have there is hi-fi. But for those willing to be a little more creative, a little more esoteric, and willing to take a small leap of faith, and go out and buy high-end components, interconnects, and speaker cabling, they are rewarded in spades because what they have there is Absolute Majesty. Despite this, what matters is at the end of the day, you can fire up your system, pour yourself a glass of scotch, kick off your shoes, and be transported into a realm of bliss and carefree. If you can do that, without qualm or grumble, then you, my friend, have succeeded in what we all strive for, but few achieve. (Because personally, I won't be satisfied until I have Wilson Audio Alexandria X2's.) ---------------- nicholtl, thanks for stopping my rapidly approaching panic attack that i got the wrong thing. i am hoping to get as close to absolute majesty as i can UP FRONT, since this is the time when i have the most leverage with my sales guy. this is why i am fishing so deep to solicit what other folks are doing, and how they like their setups. so far to date it seems like the trend is either: A - you got ripped off, go buy brand x for 1/2 the cost B - those are good cables, you did alright What is killing me is that when i average those out, i'm right back where i started from. i have a 2 week window before i get any of this stuff to make modifications to the setup, so i want to get it as right as i can. i know, i'm worrying too much, and i should be looking forward to getting my gear, but i just can't help it..

---------------- On 10/14/2004 12:34:49 AM meuge wrote: I hate to break it to you, but IMO you overpaid greatly. Nice 12-gauge banana terminated speaker wire would have done the job as well. I am sure others here will disagree, just as I am sure many will support my point of view. But I am also sure that even those who believe in the expensive wire will agree that: 1. For its quality, Monstercable is seriously overpriced and 2. Wire should be one of the last things to think about. You might get a lot more of an improvement in your system by taking the money you invested in this speaker wire and spend it improving other aspects of your system, such as power conditioning. ---------------- meuge, thanks for the input. i have a few further questions for you. 1. taking the money aspect out of it, would you say that regardless whether it is monster cable or brand x cable that i should explore the bi wire aspect of my system up front? 2. i did invest in a power conditioning unit as well with my system, although i hesitate to tell you what it is.. i got the "Monster Home Theatre Reference PowerCenter HTS 3600 with Clean Power Stage 3 v2.0" unit with my system. http://www.monstercable.com/power/productPagePower.asp?pin=1315

i am in the midst of trying to nail down what speaker wires i will need for my rf-7's and rc-7. i purchased the speakers, and on the advice of the sales rep, purchased these cables to go with them: Fronts / Monster Z2 Biwire Audiophile Speaker Cable - Z2B ML-10/10 x1 (pair) Center / Monster Z2 Biwire Center Channel - Audiophile Speaker Cable - Z2B ML-C10 x1 i thought i had this all licked until my buddy who owns the rf-3 series told me that my speakers are already bi wired and that this cable set up is redundant and unneccessary? what is the real deal on this?

---------------- On 10/13/2004 10:21:57 PM Joe Shmoe wrote: Yup... sheesh the debate continues LOL... What I believe it mostly comes down to is expense.... what you can afford and satisfy yourself with. There's been alot of debate on this forum on that subject and some do say the cheaper stuff does just as good? I myself felt comfortable with having to go with something more mid-priced. I figured since I spent (X) amount on speakers and equipment it just wouldn't feel right not putting a little exta into the cables right.... right? LOL I went with a mid-priced Audioquest wire, and I did also bi-wire, and SO.. let the debate continue, I am happy with what I decided on ---------------- Well, the good news is that i've already purchased what in MY opinion are the best cables i am willing to pay for / get. the store i bought everything at doesn't carry any better cables than the ones i got, so that is a good sign in my book.

---------------- On 10/13/2004 8:59:24 PM radiob wrote: Try a set of MIT biwre cables, youll here a difference, or you can get your money back. ---------------- i did a quick google search and can't find their website, where would one go to look for those?

---------------- On 10/11/2004 11:32:15 AM drick wrote: Hi, I need some assistance on speaker wire connections for my speakers (RF-7's, RC-7, RB-75's, RS-7's, and RSW-15). I had selected the Monster Cable THX 1000 series for all of speakers, but the sales guy said that i should change to "bi wire" for the fronts and center? Looking for some input on this. I pulled down all of the owners manuals for my speakers, and they aren't very helpful. Here is what i had originally (AV receiver, DirecTV Satellite receiver, TV, PS2, DVD): Monster THX 1000 Component - ULT V1000 CV-16 x2 Monster THX 1000 Optical - ULT I1000FO-8 x3 Monster THX 1000 Speaker - ULT S1000MT-10/10 x3 Monster THX 1000 Speaker - ULT S1000MT-20/20 x4 Monster THX 1000 Sub - ULT SUB1000-25 x1 ---------------- Based on all your feedback, i've modified as follows (am i missing anything?): Fronts / Monster Z2 Biwire Audiophile Speaker Cable - Z2B ML-10/10 x1 (pair) Center / Monster Z2 Biwire Center Channel - Audiophile Speaker Cable - Z2B ML-C10 x1 Sub / Monster ZBass100 Audiophile powered Subwoofer Interconnect - ZB100 SW-18 x1 Rear & surrounds / Monster SuperFlat Navajo White Easy-to-Hide Speaker Cable - SFL-500 x100 (ft) DVD / DTV - Monster 400 for HDMI : HDMI to DVI Video Cable - HDMI400/DVI-6M x2 Receiver to TV - Monster DVI400 Super-High Performance DVI-D Video Cable for HDTV - DVI400-5M DVD / PS2 / DTV - Monster Ultra Series THX® 1000 Fiber Optic Digital Interconnect - ULT I1000FO-8 x3 * Misc connectors / widgets for the bi wire & remote cable for rears / surrounds- Monster QuickLock Gold Banana Connectors For Easy Self Crimping Terminations - QL GMT-H x4 Monster Lock Angled Spades Modular Speaker Cable Termination - QL GAS-H x3 Monster Lock Monster Bananas Modular Speaker Cable Termination - ML MT-H x2 * I'm going to also get 3 pair of the 1m cables recommended on the other site and see iof i like them or the monster cables better (http://stores.ebay.com/24-7-MINIDISCS_W0QQsspagenameZl2QQtZkm).

---------------- On 10/13/2004 10:56:05 AM psg wrote: Most of the idea behind bi-wiring is that most of the current goes to the woofer, and so using a separate cable to the highs ensures quite a lot less current is going through that wire affecting the higher frequencies. Does it work? I don't know... I've never heard a difference. ---------------- i am only going to do this for the fronts and the center channel, so we'll see how it goes. the theory from the sales rep was that it will drive both sets of speakers, instead of splitting the signal.

---------------- On 10/13/2004 7:24:12 AM marksdad wrote: well drick!!! the only person you really need to please is yourself, if you are happy, than we are all happy for you, just try to buy what you want, not what you can afford, because you just might end up like alot of us, this audio bug is very very catchy, alot like the flu, and it never ends or lets go ---------------- well said marksdad. the bottom line on this is that if the Sony really doesn't do it for me, i can return it and swap it for the Denon 5808 when it come out in November. I wanted the Sony because of the dual DVI in ports it has, that allows to punch digital video in from both HDTV & my new DVD player, and punch it back out digital from the receiver to the TV. From what i understand the 5805 will do the same thing, but with HDMI cables instead? Since i don't have the "tuned" ear yet, the Sony sounds good to me.

Drick, No, that is not correct. Bi-wiring is running two sets of speaker cables from the amp to the speaker. One set is connected to the woofer the other set is connected to the high frequency driver(s). (Note: Both come from the same source.) While doubling up the connection will lower the resistance in the speaker circuit somewhat, going with a heaver gage wire will get you to the same place. (Read that, I doubt you will be able to hear any difference unless your speaker cables are way to small to begin with!) Bi-amping is a whole different ball game. A bi-amped system uses different power amps to drive the woofer and high frequency sections of the speaker. Obviously, this is a lot more complicated that just running another set of speaker wires. You need to add a crossover between the preamp and the two power amps for each channel to split the signal that will go to the woofer vs. high frequency driver(s). The idea behind this is that the low frequencies require most of the power and using one amp to produce the power required for the woofer and a separate amp for the quick transients required in the high frequency will improve the sound. (Quite often a SS amp is used for the lows and a tube amp for the HF.) I think your "sales guy" suggested you should bi-wire because he gets a good commission on the "magic cables" and therefore you should definitely buy twice as many of them. My response to him would be two words and they would not be "lets dance!" ---------------- ahh, i see. so i will be bi wiring up front, not bi amping (not going to be doing THAT for a while, that's for sure). Actually, the price delta for the original THX rated cables i had, and the new magic bi wire cables is neglible after "negotiations".

---------------- On 10/12/2004 10:51:32 AM picky wrote: drick: Yeah, I like scriven's approach to the issue as well; I was addicted to 14-gauge lamp cord for years!! LOL (Seriously!) I've not tried bi-amping yet, mainly because I do not have the equipment, but I have heard from others on this forum that there is an improvement (smoothing) in the lower-end transistion over to the RSW subwoofer when bi-amping. Perhaps, I will become more adventuresome in the future. As for right now, the wife and I are allowing our finances to recover since we just finished our theater YESTERDAY after 26 months of trials, tribulations and expeditures. What a relief to have that huge task completed! ---------------- ---------------- On 10/12/2004 11:42:00 AM PhilMays wrote: I think Bi-wiring is one of those things best done after your main components are set-up and you are so bored that you just have to try. I am in the camp that the bass is more open by bi-wiring. This may just be my perception, but my perception is also my reality I used to participate in one web site for home theater and remember a debate so intense that someone was arguing that a straighened length of coat hanger was just as good as any brand name wire. ---------------- Picky / Phil, consolidating posts here.. So if i undestand correctly, i am already bi wiring / bi amping (i assume bi amping is the same thing?) by utilizing the magic cables (http://www.monstercable.com/productPage.asp?pin=33) my guy sold me right? he also has some interesting connectors (i think these are them http://www.monstercable.com/productPage.asp?pin=1272) on the end that are supposed to be the best way to connect all of my speaker wires (http://www.monstercable.com/productPage.asp?pin=81)? any thoughts on those?