HK AVR355

[mk2 24v]

Anyone know if this amp can be bewired for the front speaker channel?
I've had a read through the user manual and cant see anything there mentioning it

Currently got a pair of Morduant Short Aviano1 as the main speakers, with the terminals on those joined with the standard bridging pins. Just wondering if there's anything to be gained if the amp can do biwiring or not?
Any help is much appreciated

[JimbobVFR]

I'd normally say Bi-Amping can be worth it. Sometimes if you have a 7.1 amp but 5.1 speakers you can assign the 2 spare channels to Bi-Amping and remove the links on your speaker, you'd connect the main L+R terminals on your amp to one set of speaker inputs and the SR+SL to the other.

Unfortunately the manual of your amp indicates the spare channels are only assignable for an extra Zone (i.e. stereo speakers in another room)

TBH I tried Bi-Amping using a pioneer 7.1 amp and couldn't notice much if any difference. However Bi-amping a stereo system (an arcam amp) by adding a matching stereo power amp did make a significant difference so Bi-Amping can be worthwhile, Having said that maybe 1 better amp vs 2 medium amps might be just as good or even better.

Bi-Wiring is something else entirely, you'd still use 2 runs of speaker cable (or 4 core bi-wire cable) and remove the links at the speakers, however the amp ends would just have the black and reds connected together, or connecetd to speaker A+B terminals which is the same thing, you'd still be using 2 channels to drive L+R. IMO Biwiring is pointless, other than any benefits you might get from having double the cable CSA, Although if you have decent speaker cable anyway it wont make any difference at all IMO

[mk2 24v]

Thanks for the reply

I had kind of guessed from reading through the manual that the extra 2 surround channels could only be used as a supply to another room and not for 'bi-amping' the speakers at the front
I wouldn't have thought of bi-wiring from the same posts on the amp to the speakers, as surely that's just the same setup as the current bridging plates on the speakers do. Only with twice the cable runs

Shall have more of a tinker with the settings on the amp i guess, and go from there

[JimbobVFR]

mk2 24v said:

I wouldn't have thought of bi-wiring from the same posts on the amp to the speakers, as surely that's just the same setup as the current bridging plates on the speakers do. Only with twice the cable runs

Yep my thoughts exactly and yet Bi-Wiring was quite common/popular with all sorts of claims to the difference it made.
Even Richer Sounds seem to think it helps http://www.richersounds.com/information/tips_biWir...

I used to be a mod on AVForums and I am very much sceptical of these things (I use T&E Electrical Cable like you have in your walls for my speakers) but some of the cable arguements on AVF can get very interesting/heated.