bi-wiring Forte iii with 4 ohm mid and 8 ohm woofer

[Salem]

I'm confused about bi-wiring my Forte iii speakers, can I use the 8 ohm outputs on my amp to run the woofers and use the 4 ohm tap for the mids n highs?  Would appreciate any wisdom smart people can impart.

 

[glens]

Might upset the tonal balance of the speaker as a whole if you do that, but wouldn't be harmful otherwise.  Though I'd think if you're going to shake things up that way it would work better the other way around - 4 ohm output to the woofer.

[pzannucci]

14 hours ago, glens said:

Might upset the tonal balance of the speaker as a whole if you do that, but wouldn't be harmful otherwise.  Though I'd think if you're going to shake things up that way it would work better the other way around - 4 ohm output to the woofer.

Agreed.  Just listen and decide.  Nothing to break.

 

[MechEngVic]

I don't think output transformers were designed to use both the 4 and 8 ohm taps at the same time. I think the current draw from one winding set would affect the other winding and visa-versa. If that's what you're talking about. It could cause damage to the amp depending on the design. You're better off running two sets of wire from a single tap. Don't worry too much about the ohm rating of the individual drivers as they were already designed to work together in that specific speaker. Bi-wiring from a single amp may have some audible benefits, some say yes, others say no. But the main reason to do it is so you can run two amps. If you have one good set of wires use them with the jumpers on the speakers instead of buying a second set of wires that you'll have to splice together at the amp. Unless you know specifically that your amp can run two taps at the same time, I wouldn't try it. 

[glens]

5 hours ago, MechEngVic said:

It could cause damage to the amp depending on the design.

 

Perhaps were both loads full-range, but in this case I'm sure it's a non-issue.

[billybob]

The correct way is 4 Ohms to lf...as

Of a matter of course.

[billybob]

6 hours ago, MechEngVic said:

I don't think output transformers were designed to use both the 4 and 8 ohm taps at the same time. I think the current draw from one winding set would affect the other winding and visa-versa. If that's what you're talking about. It could cause damage to the amp depending on the design. You're better off running two sets of wire from a single tap. Don't worry too much about the ohm rating of the individual drivers as they were already designed to work together in that specific speaker. Bi-wiring from a single amp may have some audible benefits, some say yes, others say no. But the main reason to do it is so you can run two amps. If you have one good set of wires use them with the jumpers on the speakers instead of buying a second set of wires that you'll have to splice together at the amp. Unless you know specifically that your amp can run two taps at the same time, I wouldn't try it. 

Typically, think you may find that at least, you can try without hurting the component involved. At least in the short term. There are some like you say that may not respond in presentation accurately. In which case one should act accordingly... thanks

[MechEngVic]

On 2/25/2020 at 6:44 PM, Salem said:

I'm confused about bi-wiring my Forte iii speakers, can I use the 8 ohm outputs on my amp to run the woofers and use the 4 ohm tap for the mids n highs?  Would appreciate any wisdom smart people can impart.

 

What amp do you have?

[Salem]

McIntosh mc452 

[MechEngVic]

5 hours ago, Salem said:

McIntosh mc452 

I don't think you have to worry about running multiple taps on that amp, it's solid state, and Mac amps have circuit protection built in. 

[glens]

Not to mention the (any) two taps being run in this case will be very largely frequency-range-independent (handling different content) anyway. 

 

There's certainly been enough time passed already to have tried this and reported back with an initial impression.  I wonder whether it has happened, or was it merely a musing?  If I had an amp with output transformers I'd have tried both combinations at the first suggestion just to check my theory that it will tilt the tonal balance of the speaker one way or the other.  That's just the kind of information I enjoy gathering... cheap and easily obtained!

[Salem]

McIntosh mc452 

 

yes.   I tried it.  It really sounds great.  Bought some good grade speaker wire from Audioquest and some good spade lugs.  Ran all new wires.... four sets.  from the amp 4 ohm taps to the mids and tweeters and from the 8 ohm to the woofers.  I think it is significantly better clarity, separation, etc.  I was using the jumpers previously, not bi-wired.  I wanted to get a little feedback before trying.  But I'm a believer now.  Thanks

[glens]

I still think reversing the taps to ranges would be a better match.  The woofer drops pretty low in places and the mid goes pretty high, in impedances.  I made up a couple extra runs for my Forte IIIs as a bi-wire experiment for a thread here a while back.  I think maybe there was a difference, perhaps, but if so not enough to warrant the expense.  I left them in place only because I'm too lazy to undo it.  I may revisit a comparison at some point if I think of it when I have the time.  Trouble is that even as quickly as it can be done, the swap is not instantaneous and it requires getting up, walking across the room, all to be reversed before resuming, and that really makes it impossible to authoritatively say one way or the other is better.  I know it's extremely close if different at all.  But that's not using different taps on a transformer...

[MechEngVic]

34 minutes ago, glens said:

I still think reversing the taps to ranges would be a better match.  The woofer drops pretty low in places and the mid goes pretty high, in impedances.  I made up a couple extra runs for my Forte IIIs as a bi-wire experiment for a thread here a while back.  I think maybe there was a difference, perhaps, but if so not enough to warrant the expense.  I left them in place only because I'm too lazy to undo it.  I may revisit a comparison at some point if I think of it when I have the time.  Trouble is that even as quickly as it can be done, the swap is not instantaneous and it requires getting up, walking across the room, all to be reversed before resuming, and that really makes it impossible to authoritatively say one way or the other is better.  I know it's extremely close if different at all.  But that's not using different taps on a transformer...

Agreed, the 4 ohm tap tends to emphasize bass and the 8 ohm tap sounds brighter and more spacious. Salem, you should try both ways and report results.

[glens]

9 hours ago, Salem said:

 I think it is significantly better clarity, separation, etc. 

 

Emphasis mine in the quote.

 

Try reversing the connections, seriously!