[Hemy]

I am new to AudioCircle and new to using external amps to drive speakers. I am eventually going to be getting a pair of VMPS RM2's and am hoping there is someone out there that can show me a picture of how they have hooked them up to a pair of Behringer A500 amps. I will be hooking them up from a Yamaha RX-810 (also future purchase). I just can't quite get it through my head on how it goes from the receiver to the amps so that one is used for highs and the other amp for lows.

[milford3]

Use your AVR's preouts.  Or it might  be labled ampouts.

[Hemy]

That part I know...but its the hooking them up to the amps themselves is what I am curious about.

[John Casler]

That part I know...but its the hooking them up to the amps themselves is what I am curious about.

As Milford suggests, you run a pair of RCA (single ended) interconnects (cables) from the Yamaha L&R PreOuts to the "unbalanced" inputs of the A500 listed as "INPUTS 1&2".

This will make the Yammie the preamp for the A500 amp.

[John Casler]

I just can't quite get it through my head on how it goes from the receiver to the amps so that one is used for highs and the other amp for lows.

Hmmmmm. . .are you thinking of "bi-amping" using the amp in the Yammie "and" the A500?

If that is the case it the connection is slightly more involved, and you would need two pair of speaker cables.

If you are not biamping, then all you need is one pair of speaker cables

[rollo]

  Those Behringer amps are quite good especially for the money. The Behringer Preamps may be a tad better than the Yamaha synergy wise. like the mono preamps.
   They should mate well with the speaker. have fun trying.


charles

[Russtafarian]

The A500 does have RCA inputs, unlike most pro amps.  So standard RCA interconnects will work between the preamp outputs of the Yamaha and the inputs on the amp.

[Hipper]

Firstly I've never used the gear you are talking about but I've looked at the manuals.

Are you buying RM2s with active crossovers? In that case your Yamaha would feed the Behringer DCX which in turn would feed the two amps. I believe the DCX uses XLR inputs and outputs so you would need two RCA-XLR cables for the Yamaha-DCX connection (I think Brian may supply these?). You could use XLR-XLR cables for the DCX-A500 connections.

If you are buying RM2s with internal (passive) crossovers, my guess is that you would use both channels on each A500. So for the A500 used for the highs, Channel 1 would be the left and channel 2 the right for example. To do this you would need a 'Y' cable where you have one RCA on one end and it splits into 2 RCAs on the other. You will therefore need two of these. Each RCA would split betwen the two amps. See diagram in the thumbnail at the link:

http://www.avforums.com/forums/arcam-products/1348688-horizontal-bi-amp-advice-needed.html

You will also need eight speaker cables.

What you are trying to do, horizontal bi-amping, is, I thought, usually done with different makes of amp. Is there a difference in performance between vertical biamping (one amp for each speaker) and horizontal bi-amping (seperating the highs and lows) when using identical amps?

[Hemy]

Hipper thanks to you  I think I finally understand. Here is how I see it:
From the left pre-out of the Yamaha I split that with Y cable and connect them to the input 1 & 2 of Amp A and this amp will be used for the Highs. Then I do the same to Amp B for the Lows.
If using this configuration which do I need, passive or electronic crossover?
If I used one amp per speaker would the setup still be split with Y cable to input 1 & 2 of Amp A from the left pre-out, then speaker wire would go to just one speaker instead of 2 from Amp A, then do the same for Amp B?
From this standpoint is one better than the other? 

John or Brian would you be able to know IF XLR or RCA cable would or would not be supplied just so I know?

[John Casler]

Hipper thanks to you  I think I finally understand. Here is how I see it:
From the left pre-out of the Yamaha I split that with Y cable and connect them to the input 1 & 2 of Amp A and this amp will be used for the Highs. Then I do the same to Amp B for the Lows.

If your intention is to "Horizontally Bi-Amp", using TWO (2) A-500 stereo amps, that is correct.

I would suggest that "Vertically Bi-Amping" might yield a better result to the BASS.  To Vertically Bi-Amp use one A500 for each speaker and use channel 1 for the Tweeter/Mid binding post, and Channel 2 for the woofer.  That way each amp has a bass driver on only a single channel which will allow more power to be diverted to the woofers overall.

If using this configuration which do I need, passive or electronic crossover?

Either will work, but the DOXO (electronic XO) REQUIRES bi-amping.  The Passive XO can be single amped or bi-amped.

If I used one amp per speaker would the setup still be split with Y cable to input 1 & 2 of Amp A from the left pre-out, then speaker wire would go to just one speaker instead of 2 from Amp A, then do the same for Amp B?

That is correct, and what I meant above as a "Vertical Bi-Amp".

From this standpoint is one better than the other? 

Yes, the Vertical has the advantage of splitting the more power hungry woofer section over TWO Power Supplies rather than one in a Horizontal Bi-Amping.[/quote]

John or Brian would you be able to know IF XLR or RCA cable would or would not be supplied just so I know?

VMPS doesn't supply line level or speaker cables unless purchased separately.  According to your previous posts, you want RCA interconnects since the Yammie you referenced does not have XLR outputs.

I am not sure what is supplied with the A500 nowdays.

[Hemy]

Such wonderful information!  Thank you John for the input. Final question....what would be best then for Virtical Bi-amping as far as crossovers are concerned? Again I want to set this up the best way I can!
I am so glad I joined this forum!!!
Side note...I have not looked in this very much yet but as far as using a phono what do people use to get it to play as loud as CD's without cranking the volume twice as much? 

[Hipper]

You need advice on what the difference is in reality (as opposed to theoretically) between active and passive crossovers for RM2s. I would be interested to hear the answers myself.

You could buy an RM2 with an OXO - an external crossover - that is a passive crossover but allows you an easy change over to active crossovers if you so choose later.

I was reading a review of the Behringer A500 which may concern you:

http://redspade-audio.blogspot.com/2010/08/review-behringer-a500-power-amp.html

About a third of the way down, under the heading 'Where not to use this amp' it says 'in particular it should not be used in an active system for the tweeters.'

Your question on 'phono'. You mean using a turntable. The Yamaha, according to the instructions, has a phono input. That should raise the sound levels up to the other sources, I would have thought.

[Hemy]

Thanks Hipper I will read that articleTurntable is I do have a Yamaha but not the 810 I cited earlier I am using a 595a and I have to crank the volume up twice as much for it to become loud....I have started asking questions about this in another forum but will still take advice. Other people have talked about "gain" to get the volume up. While my Technics SL-3300 sounds good but I dont want to have to crank the volume halfway up (twice as much as with a CD playing) just to get it loud.

[Hemy]

Ok I read it...I will have to check with VMPS themselves on how they use it as they were whom suggested it to me. 

[John Casler]

Thanks Hipper I will read that articleTurntable is I do have a Yamaha but not the 810 I cited earlier I am using a 595a and I have to crank the volume up twice as much for it to become loud....I have started asking questions about this in another forum but will still take advice. Other people have talked about "gain" to get the volume up. While my Technics SL-3300 sounds good but I dont want to have to crank the volume halfway up (twice as much as with a CD playing) just to get it loud.

The volume/SPL you will achieve with your phono input will depend on several factors, the most significant are:

1) If you have a high output or low output cartridge

2) The gain of your phono preamp

In general an MM (moving magnet) cartridge will have a higher output than a MC (moving coil).  Many phono preamp sections will have a switch to select which cartridge you are using to achieve appropriate gain (volume).

Check your cartridge to see which kind it is.  (MM or MC)  Then check your phono preamp or phono section to see if it has a switch, and that the switch is set for your cartridge type and output.  Quite often the better phono sections also have an impedance switch which you may need to select.

[Hemy]

Thanks John...From what everyone has said it might not be worth while right now to bother with a new cartrige and just put up with having to turn the volume up.
Thanks everyone for all the information...I LOVE THIS PLACE!