Best way to connect a Bi-Wire Capable Amp with a Non-Bi-Wire Capable Speaker

[cjf]

Hello,

My apologies up front if this is not the proper forum location for this topic but after a few rounds of head banging I took a gamble and started the topic here as it seemed to make the most sense. Mods..Please move if you disagree

So my question is this, if you have a Mono amplifier that includes X 2 sets of binding posts (4 total for one channel) and you have a set of speakers that do not support Bi-Wiring what would be considered the ideal way to connect them up? Now I know on the surface there seems to be a fairly simple answer here but let me explain where I feel things start to get a bit "muddy" on what the answer is to this.

Looking inside the amp, lets assume that the Positive speaker output on the board has X 2 wires branching out from it that then go on to feed the pair of binding posts that represent the Positive output connections. The same configuration would apply to the Negative. Another configuration could possibly be X 1 wire off the board to X 1 Binding post that is then connected to the other mirrored Binding post in a daisy chained configuration.

Given the above wiring scenario, and then choosing to only use X 1 pair of binding posts on the amp to connect up the speaker is it possible that part of the output signal is being wasted or thrown away by being sent to the unoccupied Binding post? Even if that "wasted" part of the signal eventually finds its way back thru the circuit to the Binding post that is occupied would the damage already be done in terms of the timing it took to figure out that nothing was attached on the other end?

Would a better wiring configuration be to use a true Bi-Wire speaker cable on the Amp side into a Shotgun style connection on the speaker side (ie..4 wires into 2)? In this configuration it seems like any/all output current would have a path "OUT" to the speaker with no roadblocks involved;so to speak.

For those with this style of Amp and a non bi-wire capable speaker how are you connecting them up?

Thanks for any info or insight you can provide.

 

[GaryProtein]

I know you want to do this, but don't waste your time and money.

Any returns you get from this will be purely in your imagination.

 

[cjf]

I know you want to do this, but don't waste your time and money.

Any returns you get from this will be purely in your imagination.

I appreciate your recommendation but in this instance I'm more interested in learning which connection approach would be best given the described amp and speaker configurations. I'm well aware that I could just purchase a standard stereo pair of cables and be done with it ( and I just may do that) but if there is a better way to connect these devices I would much rather use the more ideal approach. I'm not really married to any approach at this time so no harm no foul.

Thanks

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Given the above wiring scenario, and then choosing to only use X 1 pair of binding posts on the amp to connect up the speaker is it possible that part of the output signal is being wasted or thrown away by being sent to the unoccupied Binding post?

No. No current is lost through the unoccupied binding post unless there is a load/speaker connected to it.

Even if that "wasted" part of the signal eventually finds its way back thru the circuit to the Binding post that is occupied would the damage already be done in terms of the timing it took to figure out that nothing was attached on the other end?

No.

Would a better wiring configuration be to use a true Bi-Wire speaker cable on the Amp side into a Shotgun style connection on the speaker side (ie..4 wires into 2)? In this configuration it seems like any/all output current would have a path "OUT" to the speaker with no roadblocks involved;so to speak.

That is pointless but harmless.

Thanks for any info or insight you can provide.

Learn a little about Ohm's Law and you will realize that this of no concern.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

I appreciate your recommendation but in this instance I'm more interested in learning which connection approach would be best given the described amp and speaker configurations. I'm well aware that I could just purchase a standard stereo pair of cables and be done with it ( and I just may do that) but if there is a better way to connect these devices I would much rather use the more ideal approach. I'm not really married to any approach at this time so no harm no foul.

There is no better way.

 

[cjf]

There is no better way.

Thanks for the information. So it sounds like if there is no "load" at the end of a given path of wires then the current isn't attracted or lured down that path despite it being in direct contact with a path that does have a load.

Stereo pair it is then ...I'll do some more reading also.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Thanks for the information. So it sounds like if there is no "load" at the end of a given path of wires then the current isn't attracted or lured down that path despite it being in direct contact with a path that does have a load.

Yes. Look up Ohm's Law and Kirchhoff's Current Law.

 

[GaryProtein]

I know you want to do this, but don't waste your time and money.

Any returns you get from this will be purely in your imagination.

I guess my answer wasn't sufficiently serious sounding or eloquent enough!

Kal has a way with words!

 

[es347]

..anyone who mentions Kirchhoff's Current Law and even spells it correctly gains immediate credibility

 

[DaveC]

I know you want to do this, but don't waste your time and money.

Any returns you get from this will be purely in your imagination.

+1, Just get a regular set of speaker cables, like my SMSG , and you'll be fine.

 

[JackD201]

Yep, no need to worry. Don't even try. There are no gains.

 

[cjf]

Thanks everyone. I went ahead and purchased a stereo pair of Cardas Neutral Reference cables at 1.5m length and will see how it goes. Buying these cables is a bit of a gamble for me as I've been very happy with my 2ft long Mogami 2921 for 2 years now.

I guess will see if a cable that cost X 4 as much and is 3ft longer can compete with the short, low rent Mogami and remain as clean as they were. If the Cardas don't hold water I'll be officially withdrawing my hat from the expensive cable market for good (again!).

It's funny how time can make us dismiss our previous findings in hopes that it will be better this time round.