[fastlane]

I am just wrapping up installing my Alpine 17Ref components mated to a Kenwood X40 amp. I currently have them wired in a bridged setup, which produces 150 watts per channel (amp is dialed back via DMM). What would be the advantage, if any, of bi amping the Alpine's and sending 70 watts per channel to each speaker/tweeter.

 

[OSN]

I am just wrapping up installing my Alpine 17Ref components mated to a Kenwood X40 amp. I currently have them wired in a bridged setup, which produces 150 watts per channel (amp is dialed back via DMM). What would be the advantage, if any, of bi amping the Alpine's and sending 70 watts per channel to each speaker/tweeter.

It's always better to be able to eq, time-align, and customize crossover settings for each driver rather than apply these adjustments to a pair of drivers with a passive crossover that has fixed crossover points and slopes. That's assuming you have these processing abilities...

 

[fastlane]

It's always better to be able to eq, time-align, and customize crossover settings for each driver rather than apply these adjustments to a pair of drivers with a passive crossover that has fixed crossover points and slopes. That's assuming you have these processing abilities...

So I assume this is what it means running the speakers active or passive; active is bi amped, and passive is running directly to xover and letting it do the work?

 

[Lanson]

Active means that each speaker gets its own channel of amplification, which is similar to bi-amping but doesn't involve the crossover box at all. Instead, you have an active crossover (like on your head unit if it will do it) to send the right signals to the right channels.

The REF set isn't too bad for a crossover, though, I have the PRO's, and I've run the last generation type X's which the REF's are pretty similar to. IMO, you should try bi-amping through the REF crossovers if you don't have a head unit that can control everything actively.

 

[fastlane]

The REF set isn't too bad for a crossover, though, I have the PRO's, and I've run the last generation type X's which the REF's are pretty similar to. IMO, you should try bi-amping through the REF crossovers if you don't have a head unit that can control everything actively.

I guess that's what I was originally asking. There is a woofer input and tweeter input on the Ref Xover. Assuming you leave the xover duty to the Alpine, is there a benefit of biamping?

 

[keabrown79]

i'd like to know this as well

 

[Lanson]

There should be less cross-talk between the woofer and tweeter and thus a little less distortion. However, you are definitely better off with a true active setup if possible.

 

[TREETOP]

If you biamp through your existing crossovers, the benefit will be that each amp channel is only seeing 4 ohms instead of the 2 ohms each channel is seeing by bridging into the same load. Your s/n should be higher as well as your headroom.