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Originally Posted by Scott Buwalda
Forum, I just typed out a response to a PM about how and why one would want to vertically bi-amplify a four channel amplifier to a front stage set of speakers. I figured I'd copy and paste it here for mutual edification...
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Amplifiers have channel "cross-talk" (unless they're dual mono's), meaning that a very slight amount of information from the left channel may "bleed" into the right channel, and vice versa.
The common thing is to take a four channel amplifier, for example, and use the "front" channels for the tweeters, and the "rear" channels for the midrange, right? Well, to improve stereo separation, and eliminate the very subtle instance of the channels bleeding into one another, use the "front" channels for the left speakers, and the "rear" channels for the right speakers.
So, for example, the front left output on the amplifier would be for the left tweeter, the front right output on the amplifier would be for the left midrange, the rear left output on the amplifier would be for the right tweeter, and the rear right output on the amplifier would be for the right midrange.
Clear as mud?
Draw a diagram. It's much easier that way.
So, what you're doing is sending a like signal into the "front" amplifier (for the left speakers), and a like signal into the "rear" amplifier (for the right speakers). So, if there's channel "cross-talk", where information bleeds between channels, it won't matter, as it's all the same musical signal anyway. This is all assuming, of course, that the 4 channel amp in question is really two 2-channel, discrete amplifiers in one chassis, and there is no commonality in signal path between the front and rear amplifiers.
Of course, you'll need to arrange your RCA's appropriately to be sure that the left signals are going into the "front" amplifier, and the right signals are going into the "rear" amplifier. To me, this is the hardest part---making sure not to fudge something up, especially when you're using active crossovers, and there are tweeters involved!
Wiring the amps this way will achieve better stereo separation (some say as much as 3-5 dB). It's kind of tweaky, and confuses most basic installers at first, but it's free performance.
Regards,
Scott
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