[pstrisik]

Thanks for chiming in Jim,

I think what you are saying validates my approach (in theory anyway, we'll see how it sounds in practice).  I am waiting for a stereo attenuator from Marchand that will let me gain match the tube and solid state amps.  Other experience that tells me this may be a good track to follow is in manipulating the xover to subs.  The hi/mids seem to get a bit smoother when I xover at 50 or 60 Hz rather than run full range.  So I'm hoping I can xover at lower point or run full range with the tube amp dedicated to 500 Hz and above or wherever it is that the SS8 crosses.  (BTW, where are the xover points between mid/woofer and mid/tweeter?)

I will definitely report back the results of this grand experiment.  I'm hoping to get the attenuator by Monday or so and have it all set up by mid-week.

.........Peter

[audiotom]

Jim, Pete and Nuance   - hopefully your drive over wasn't too taxing.  Have a great show!!!

 Jim

thanks for the insights on how biamping integrates with your speakers

it seems unless there are active crossovers in the mix up front, the same full band signal is going to all channels and therefore little gain in additional  power with the second amp - and still the strain on each amp due to the large demand from the lower frequencies.


Peter, I will be very  interested to hear how your tube / solid state bi amping setup turns out.

[rick240]

Now you have 250wpc with complete channel separation ala monoblocks.

No you don't have 250wpc. You have 125wpc and twice the number of channels.

So if you would have clipped with a single 125watt amp, then splitting and having two 125watt amps does not remove the clipping. The frequency that clipped needs a bigger amp, not just less frequencies at the amp.

And with pure passive bi-amping, both of the amps still have the full signal being amplified.

The concept of audiotom, inserting active crossovers without removing the passives, should work (although the passives would still be applied so there would be crossover slope multiplication - edit. note that this would remove the flat FR Jim and Dennis have achieved, putting a dip at the crossover point)...

...but that frequency that clipped with 125watts will still clip at 125watts.

IMHO (educated only by forums)

[audiotom]

thanks for all the insights,
I'm learning a lot from your experiences, what happens in practice, etc.

keep the comments coming.

[pstrisik]

No you don't have 250wpc. You have 125wpc and twice the number of channels.

So if you would have clipped with a single 125watt amp, then splitting and having two 125watt amps does not remove the clipping. The frequency that clipped needs a bigger amp, not just less frequencies at the amp.

And with pure passive bi-amping, both of the amps still have the full signal being amplified.

The concept of audiotom, inserting active crossovers without removing the passives, should work (although the passives would still be applied so there would be crossover slope multiplication - edit. note that this would remove the flat FR Jim and Dennis have achieved, putting a dip at the crossover point)...

...but that frequency that clipped with 125watts will still clip at 125watts.

IMHO (educated only by forums)

Good points Rick, thanks.

As I think about this situation, I realize my experience with xover to subs via my pre/pro is by active xover (before the amps), so we'll have to see how the bi-amp experiment goes in practice.  I will at least still have tube character for mid/hi and solid state character for bass, but maybe not the power advantages I had anticipated.

.......Peter