[SoaringBear]

I read in a 1991 issue of Audio Basics that I could bi-wire. I had an extra set of matching speaker wires from Mapleshade Records, so I thought I would give it a try since my Totem speakers are set up for that.  Two sets of wires run from the amp to each speaker. One set goes to the woofer connections and the other goes to the tweeter connections.
Is there a difference? A little. The sound is a bit more 3D. Voices, piano, guitar, cymbals and voices are a little more lifelike. They were excellent already.
image credit avahifi

[whydontumarryit]

How old are you? Spend your money on woman like a normal kid, the return on investment is much more satisfying.
Otherwise you will be wasting the rest of your life searching for something 'a little more lifelike'  like the rest of us suckers have fallen for. Run!

[Letitroll98]

Yes, you've found the universal response to bi- wiring.  It's a little bit better, you can hear it, but nothing you'd testify to in court.   Similar results can be had by improving the jumpers between the two sets of binding posts.  Another strategy a speaker and cable manufacturer gave me was use one set of cables, but split the input with the positive leg going the bass terminal and the negative to the tweeter terminal and still having the jumpers connected.  He said it gave you all the electrical benefits of bi-wiring without the cost and hassle of two sets of speaker cables.  But in your case where you already have the cables why not, It's free.

What really makes a big difference is bi-amping, using separate amps for bass and tweeter legs.  Much more expensive and involved.

[WGH]

Some speakers like the Salk HT2-TL and Walsh TLS-1 (Ohm F) from HHR Exotic Speakers like unlimited current which means at least 10-11 gauge speaker cables. I never had a single run of speaker cables that large so I bi-wire using Kimber 4VS. A single run attenuated the bass.

We recently auditioned the new Hapa Torsion 14 gauge UPOCC hand polished Copper and Torsion 15 gauge UPOCC Nano-polished Silver in two different systems. Both Eric and I found a single run of either cable attenuated the bass. Each of us came to this same conclusion separately while listening alone. Eric uses the 8 gauge speaker cable from GR Research.
https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=183932.msg1944092#msg1944092

The Hapa speaker cables are a lot better sounding than the Kimber but I would need a double run and have no idea what that would cost. The difference in sound between the two cables was not subtle either.

When I bi-wire I keep the speaker post jumpers in place. I run one pair of speaker wires to the tweeter and the other pair to the woofer. The tweeter doesn't need much current so the extra oomph goes to the woofer through the jumpers. In my totally scientific tests, leaving the jumper in increases bass. The test was "Temple Caves" on Mickey Hart's Planet Drum. When I was still renting, the old house had single glazed windows. A single run sounded great but a double run plus leaving in the jumpers rattled the glass in the windows.

But if your speakers don't have strong, flat bass to 40 Hz and below the difference between single and bi-wire will be hard if not impossible to hear.

[rollo]

   If your Speakers have a Bi-Wire configuration try it. You then can determine if the cost justifies the "Different" sound. Everything makes a difference. Trying is key in this Hobby.

charles

[SoaringBear]

Rollo, I agree trying different things is part of the enjoyment of this hobby and all hobbies really. Some things work out and some don't. And, it if it is cheap, it is worth a try.

[SoaringBear]

WGH, thanks for the idea about keeping the jumper in place. I have 99.99% sterling silver 10-gauge wire as jumpers. It was only $30.