Newb quiestion - Can I Bi-Wire B&W 685 with Denon 3808

[ajitbm]

I have shortlist my first HT setup to B&W 68* series speakers and Denon 3808. I have already ordered Oppo DVD player and got a 40 inch Sony V series LCD display. The B&W 685's and HTM62 are bi-wireable but I am not sure how to bi-wire them with 3808. Wanted to check if I can bi-wire them with Denon 3808 and if the answer is yes, then how do I bi-wire them.

Thanks.

 

[Peter Galbavy]

You can bi-wire any speakers that offer two pairs of connectors. At the amp end you just join the wires together again and attach them to the speaker terminals.

If you mean bi-amp them, then I guess you can - if the 3808 is like it's earlier bretheren. In the menus there should be an option for what to so with the "surround back" channel - choose "Front" and then run separate pairs of cable from the front L/R and surround back L/R terminals to the speakers L/R hi and lo inputs. The important thing is not to cross connect anything and of course to make sure you have removed the jumpers at the speaker end between the hi and lo connectors.

This will also require re-running the Audyssey EQ stuff ...

I am basing this on my bi-amping of my 4306 and reading up on the 3805/6 previously.

 

[ajitbm]

You can bi-wire any speakers that offer two pairs of connectors. At the amp end you just join the wires together again and attach them to the speaker terminals.

If you mean bi-amp them, then I guess you can - if the 3808 is like it's earlier bretheren. In the menus there should be an option for what to so with the "surround back" channel - choose "Front" and then run separate pairs of cable from the front L/R and surround back L/R terminals to the speakers L/R hi and lo inputs. The important thing is not to cross connect anything and of course to make sure you have removed the jumpers at the speaker end between the hi and lo connectors.

This will also require re-running the Audyssey EQ stuff ...

I am basing this on my bi-amping of my 4306 and reading up on the 3805/6 previously.

Thanks for your reply Peter.
If 3808 supports bi-amping the two front's, is it better to bi-amp them or to bi-wire them ? If its better to bi-amp, I will bi-amp the two fronts and bi-wire the centre

 

[Peter Galbavy]

Bi-wiring is a bit of a myth - as long as your cable has low resistance and good conduction for the current being delivered in the first place then there is nothing in it. All you are doing is doubling the cross section of copper from the amp to the speakers. Hell, 30-amp twin&earth mains cables is as good a speaker cable as any you can buy.

Bi-amping is worth it to me - but there are a variety of discussions about the change in impedance vs the power delivered to the speakers and whether this actually does what it sounds like. To my ears, on my 4306, the fronts no longer distort when turned up as the amp used to clearly clip when only using the normal front amps. That's a win.

You bi-amp by using the "surround back" channels - so, you choose either 7.1 or 5.1 with bi-amped fronts.