Should You Bi-Amp Your AV Receiver?

You may have noticed a "bi-amp" option in the speaker configuration of the setup menu of your AV receiver. We discuss what bi-amping is and whether or not you should take advantage of this feature if your AV receiver offers it. Many factors including the robustness of the amplifier section, how many channels you are currently using and the type of speakers you are using will determine whether or not this feature is for you and your AV receiver.

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[patrickheredia]

This hurt my heart. Have a tsr-700 that I'm currently using 2 channel with b&w 606s2 and got excited when I saw I could bi-amp. Thanks for crushing my soul.

[Mark-Dibble]

1:04 I can’t bi-amp, but I watched the whole video anyway. Take that!

[alanbratt]

I'm currently bi - amping a pair of Mission MX3s, using a Marantz SR5007 receiver in stereo mode. Sound is so much better than when i just used the main speaker outputs - fuller and tighter bass, richer midrange and more defined treble. Also, soundstage and imaging have improved.
I'm more than happy with the sound, and i don't think that i will go back to the old way.

[mustangfred]

Running a Marantz SR8012 and biamping the two front speakers, old Paradigm Monitor series, using the preamp mode and two Rotel rb960 BX amplifiers. Old stuff but sounds really nice. Lots of power.

[jdk_]

I bought the Denon 3600H last year. Since it has 9 channels of amplification I’m running it bi-amped on my klipsch towers. My set up is basically 5.1 with height speakers in the front. I love streaming music to listen to in stereo. Bi-amping definitely improved the clarity of the highs. It actually improved the imaging too. I went back-and-forth a few times and it definitely seemed like something was missing when I wasn’t doing it. It’s tough to judge comments from people since you don’t know a persons given level of competence and understanding when addressing technical issues. I’m not saying I’m an expert but audio is a hobby of mine and I think this receiver makes enough of a difference when listening to music to be worthwhile.

[rustyfan]

Hi gene, I am using an integra home theater receiver and I am using the bi amp feature with paradigm speakers, and to me they sound clearer and more spacious whether it’s all in my head because that’s what I’m supposed to hear that remains to be seen but I’m happy with it

[christophermears]

My current system is a Yamaha RXV 3800. I'm using the bi amp feature of that receiver to bi anp my PSB alpha t Tower speakers.. when I'm listening to music in either all channel stereo which I get most of you guys hate personally I love it or when I'm listening to 2 channel it's like I've unlocked those speakers the difference in sound the difference in detail is absolutely unreal it really does make a difference.

[QAT]

great content Gene. precisely, bi-amp is only usable when these boxes are checked;
1. internal crossover or DSP to separate & redirect high frequency and low-mid frequency into two different channels
2. speaker is bi-wired capable with 4 binding post
3. speaker does not have analog or physical crossover

but most of the speakers nowadays do not have bi-wiring capability (4 binding post) and absence of physical or analog crossover.

[Reveers]

I have no idea if this will ever be read but I recently reorganized my setup. Running a PC as my main media source. HDMI to TV for 4k on 65" HDTV, and a second HDMI cable to my old Onkyo TX-SR605 5.1 Receiver. I've had it for over a decade and I've never had a single issue with it. I run two Energy Connoisseur CF-30 towers (more on those in a minute), an EW-100 subwoofer, and Energy centre channel. I started with the 5.1 Take Classic set and have upgraded over time. I'm not currently using rears or the surround.

That gave me an interesting opportunity however to use the surround outputs as bi-amps for the tower speakers. There is a label on the rear outputs, and a setting within the receiver setup menu itself to enable the feature. I've been running that for a while and it seems to perform well. However to my ear, it sounds almost the same as a passive bi-wire setup to the same speakers. There IS a noticeable difference to having it bi-wire/bi-amped vs not at all so I will continue to run it bi-amped until I upgrade the whole system.

Just fyi previously I was using TOSlink optical to run from the motherboard to the receiver, but had my eyes opened when I was reminded it only provides 2 channel PCM rather than the higher bandwidth HDMI.

Thanks.

[gavinj]

Very helpful Gene! Thank you. I received support on this topic through the Website recently, Peng and others. I Bi-amped my high end top of the line Sony AVR to the mid and tweeter and My Anthem amp PVA4 to the bottom drivers of my Paradigm 95fs. I used the SPL meter and found my ear was .5 db off on my front right and surround left all other speakers except subs, were spot on same level. I used your SPL video to help me understand how to do that. Thanks again! My subs were much lower on the SPL meter. Way off there. I turned both subs up to same DB and have really felt I'm enjoying Atmos movies the way they should be along with my 2 channel music at the best it can sound. Many of us have limitations on speaker placement due to room size limitations to fit furniture, TV, audio equipment etc.. Practically no options. I appreciate the advice on the room correction. I just do the distance and level by ear instead with 80 crossover and small setting. As per above I was almost spot on to the SPL meter. Two channels left on my PVA 4 so I used 1 of those also combined with the Sony to bi-amp my Center channel cc590 which now also sounds clearer and more pronounced at low and high volumes. Another big advantage. I plan to study Peng's advice to compare the single amp hook up vs bi-amp just for fun and because I can't stop messing with everything. I am also now a subscriber!

[ironmaiden]

I use the bi-amp feature to run 4 front floor speakers. It’s a 7.2 channel Yamaha and all the channels output the same watt. Changing the setting to bi-amp makes the receiver a 5.1 channel. But instead of running one channel to the upper of the duel post speakers I just power one set of speakers with one channel and another set of speakers with the other. Sounds great running it In 2.2. Channel.

[jayboyd]

Easily the best, most informative clip i have seen regarding this topic. Makes absolute sense of a grey area in audio. Thank you

[toddcorbin]

Bi-amping Polk monitors with budget Onkyo AV receiver, definitely makes a difference.

[donlarrick]

I say try it. I have a Denon 3802 from 2002 and I have re-purposed it to my office with a set of Elac Uni-fi UB5's and a couple of 10" Klipsch subs I picked up off of CL. I run the UB5's from 80hz up with the internal Denon HP filter, and take the L/R line level out to the subs and use their LP filter. So now I have a kick-ass 2.2 system for very little money.

In the theater room I have a Yamaha 850 that is bi-amping my Tannoy Saturn 8's and it is a noticeable improvement at higher volumes. Again, try it and if it is not an improvement, it's easy enough to go back.

[vincentnas]

I have a DENON AVC-3800 from 1996, and this amplifier has Left Center Right in BI-Amp and still is very powerfull

[matthewaugsburger]

I have the pioneer sc lx801. The bi-amp feature was noticable with my klipsch rp280f speakers at higher volumes. Better bass response and cleaner highs. Though l did buy a 7 channel power amp and no longer need to bi-amp as the amp puts out more than enough power per channel

[Johnwoehrle]

Thanks for the impartial information. I passive bi-amp Martin Logan Vistas (electrostatic) with the Onkyo TX RZ50. I listen mostly to 2 channel music (plus sub). The MLs sound great! and perform well as fronts for a 5.1 system. The RZ50 has 120W/Channel at 8 Ohms. Seams to be enough power to drive all of the speakers.

[danwaligursky]

I have a Marantz SR6014 and have noticed a benefit of bi-amping from the AVR. I also have a Parasound 855A 85WX5, I noticed a bump in power with this as well. Using Parasound for bi-amped towers and cnter and running surrounds off the AVR.

[Saurotar]

Hey Gene 😀

First of all, a very big Thank You for the great knowledge you put into this. I have watched a few of your videos by now and I must say you do a pretty good job 👍

My setup:
Marantz SR4003 drives the mid and high on my Yamaha NS-777 front speakers. I used the front pre-outs for my ROTEL BX956AX power amp in bridge mode, that drives the front woofers.

Subwoofer: Rockford Fosgate Punch III 10" 400w rms, peak 800w driven by ROTEL RB-980BX bridged to 1 * 360w rms 8 ohm.

Good day to everyone 🤗

[garyausten]

I bi-amped my RP-600Miis with my Denon AVR-X4700H to go along with my other 5 speakers and sub. Personally, I heard a difference when I realized the receiver had the bi-amp feature vs single-amping and tried it out. It uses 2 of the 4 height channels, neither of which I use, so I figured "what the heck." Like you said, it's a bigger effect when I'm only using the /R speakers listening to a CD, a vinyl album or streaming music.