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Re: Jon Risch, please see bi-wiring question in Cable forum

Posted by Franco (A) on March 3, 2003 at 12:16:50

In Reply to: Jon Risch, please see bi-wiring question in Cable forum posted by bdiament on March 3, 2003 at 06:20:53:

Hi!

I am not John Risch, simply an electrical engineer, MDRiggs's explanation on how "does not" work a bi-wiring is completely wrong.
The circuit in bi-wiring has different electrical characteristics that "can" audibly affect the performances, but MDRiggs simply seems to be unable to recognize, beside the acoustical, the electrical difference (but curiously it is writing about it!).
He shows clearly not to be an axpert in electrical circuits; it is difficult to explain to those "surface scrappers" where to look for.
Impedance is probably a simply strange number that must match between loudspeaker and amplifier datasheets or you will get problems (nobody knows what)!
No consideration is made about the currents and frequencies selectively crossing in a bi-wiring system in respect to a single wiring; intermodulation (complicate word, what is this?) remain a number another time to be enough "small" on data sheets and "inaudible" in an hi-fi component review.
How can current and frequencies select to cross on one cable or in the other ? Probably somebody suppose because of the brand of the cables.
MDRiggs has not in mind that, i.e., a hi pass crossover offer low series impedance above the crossover point and high impedance below the same? (the same happens on all crossovers sections except on series crossovers that cannot bi-wired).
Thus the signal current is maximum above crossover point and minimum below it in way of the series impedance (and obvious relation with the cable impedance!); this "magically" gives the effect to separate the signals between the cables ! (thus the current in each cable is practically relative only to the relevant frequency band).
MDRiggs has not considered i.e. the peak transient current on a cable driving a woofer and the relevant voltage drop and phase rotation occurring along the cable in way of this.
In this case, and with the example MDRiggs has so clearly given to the audiophile world, the medium and high frequencies current flows, on the same single wiring cable, undisturbed respecting original relative phase and amplitudes at amplifier posts!
Absolutely untrue and unprofessional statement; there is need for this kind of opinions ?.
I know that my hears are far to be perfect, many peoples has better extension and sensitivity of mine, but those articles convinced me that exist peoples, like MDRiggs, with so bad acoustic perception (or may be not good systems or setup) that are unable to detect the acoustical difference between single and bi-wiring (clearly perceivable on most of the setups and more on three way systems).
If MDRiggs simply explain "I am not convinced of bi-wiring because I cannot hear any difference between mono and bi-wiring setups" STOP! it will be credible and honest, but try to give an absurd technical explanations based on ignorance of electrical principles is uncorrect and misleading.
Circuit simulation, like on SPICE, give results not easy to understand, but in any case DIFFERENT results between the single and bi-wiring setups (otherwise the circuit has not been electrically simulated in the proper way considering really all parameters involved!).
The effect of the change of those parameters on sound cannot be stated by the simulation circuit, but only by direct audition.
Bi-wiring (or generally multi-wiring) works for the best electrical characteristics he can offer to the separate signals paths; some time the benefit is dramatic, on most of the systems clearly audible, on very few Hi-end setups inaudible.

Finally, Bi-wiring it is not a tweak in the common sense, is an application of known tecniques to obtain clearly audible system improvements on most systems, ... sometime not (but also in this few cases the system has improved, you simply cannot hear it!).

Best regards

Franco

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