Bi-amping Klipsch WF-34's using Pioneer VSX-1019AH-K receiver

[RobS]

I have owned a pair of WF-34's for about 6 months and have just upgraded my receiver to a Pioneer VSX-1019AHK. The setup also contains an XW-300D subwoofer.

I would like advice on using the unused back surroung amps in the receiver to bi-amp my WF-34's

The Pioneer receiver comes with explicit instructions regarding bi-amping and bi-wiring. In the receiver setup you can specify whether you want to use the back surround channels for speakers or bi-amping the front speakers. I called Klipsch to ask about the WF-34's and the tech didn't seem to immediately know what bi-amping was. I pointed out to him that there were four terminals on the back with removable metal straps connecting them. He hummed and hawed and then said he thought they were probably for bi-wiring and when I asked what the advantage of that was he said it's like a hose with water going through it and it's now two hoses and ... Anyway, I didn't feel confident that he had much knowledge on the subject of bi-amping.

I plan to go step by step and at very low volume, first remove the metal straps that connect the two pairs of terminals, then connect the front channel wires to first the upper and then the lower terminals and see which cones are active - then once I've confirmed which terminals drive which cones, connect the back channel to the low frequency terminals (hopefully the lower pair on the back) and see if that works as expected. Then I'll connect the front channel wires to the high frequency terminals (hopefully the upper pair on the back) and see how it works. Then connect them all together and hope there's no smoke.

So before I try this out, I thought I'd check here to see if anyone can offer advice or has experience to share with this or a similar bi-amping setup and things to watch out for.

[jamesV]

Welcome to the forum...

Sounds like you have everything under control.

It really isn't bi-amping, people have done it before, some did hear a difference and some didn't.

The following information is from a Klipsch employee.

Bi-Amping

This is what you are planning doing.

Bi-Wiring

James

[InVeNtOr]

james has said it right. don't trust most people in stores when it comes to bi-AMPING. my first experience was at BB, he told me some nonsence. i came to the forums and stated what he said and he couldn't have been more wrong.

here's my experience.

i have a seperate amp to drive the mains. i didn't hear a difference. the only thing i noticed is the loudness. to me it seemed like i had to turn up the volume a little more to hear at the same volume. my EX-receiver had the option of bi-amping. i never tried it. others i know have. to me, if you are to bi-amp using a normal run of the mill AVR, it's not worth your time. it simply gives your speakers more AVAILABLE watts, that they basically won't use. if your receiver is 50w per channel, i can see doing it, but if it's 100w and above, you may not notice any difference.

just looked at specs. it's 120w per channel, i wouldn't bother with it. just my advice. speake wire is cheap, try it out, if it sounds better keep it. if not, you waised about $15, hopefully that doesn't make you miss a house or car payment.

btw, welcome to your new home!

[RobS]

James and Inventor,

Thanks for the warm welcome, advice and reassurance that I'm not going to blow things up. The Pioneer manual distinguishes between bi-amping and bi-wiring. It's not clear to me why what I'm intending to do is not bi-amping - I'll be driving different speaker elements with different amplifiers running over different wires from an amp that is designed to bi-amp the front speakers.

The Pioneer 1019 has an OSD menu for speaker setup where you can specify using the back surround channels for front speaker bi-amping. It also has a mic used in a calibration routine that blasts sound (static) from the various attached speakers over a short period. As the bi-amping is designed into the system, I'm hoping that the mic/amp combo will accurately manage to control the separate high and low speaker cones in the WFo-34's.

As you can read, I'm speaking in the future tense, as I haven't found either the speaker wire or time to do this. I'll get back to when I have. I too am skeptical as to whether my ears will be able to detect a difference. The current setup sounds very good but it bothers me that I have all those amps sitting there idle.

Thanks again.

[jamesV]

Rob,

I understand what your receiver manual said about bi-amping and bi-wiring but that is not total true.

Take a look at the links that I provided about about bi-amping and bi-wiring. For a true bi-amping you would need active crossovers and separate amps driving each speaker. Other then that it is just, passive bi-amping as each speaker is still getting the full range signal.

For speaker wire you don't have to spend a pay check on them. Check out the local Radio Shack, Home Depot, or on-line at MonoPrice.

James

[Trey Cannon]

some of the new receivers do allow for BI-AMPING using the (6&7th ch) of the amp.

Onkyo is one that does this.

The value is found in the low end of the speaker...you can set the levels such that the LF get more voltage than the HF. Thus, it can sound better at low volumes. IF you turn it up while set like that, you can hurt the speaker or at lest make it sound bad.

Its all about the right tool for the job and using it right. "get a bigger hammer does not always work"

[jason str]

Your speakers can in fact be bi-amped with your pioneer, weather or not it helps the sound any will be up to you to decide.

Post back with your results.