TOPIC:

I'm pulling together my audio gear for a 7.1 home theater setup. I plan on placing the 8-channel MiniDSP Dirac Live unit between my pre-amp and my two 5-channel amps. My old L & R front speakers have been bi-amped. I'm hoping to continue that practice. (Please don't discuss the long-time debate about whether bi-amping is worth it; I've heard all the arguments.) My question is about whether there's any problem with using a Y splitter in the balanced cable to go from one front channel in the DDRC-88A into two channels in the amplifier (which will then drive the audio signals to the same speaker box).

Note that I'm placing the Y cable after the DDRC-88A so that the calibration perceives each speaker box as a single unit, even though in 2 cases (L & R front) the box is being driven by 2 separate amps. Also, note that this wiring will be in place for both the calibration and the listening phases.

Any there any thoughts about a better way to calibrate 7 speakers plus 1 sub-woofer where at least 2 of them are bi-wired?

Thanks,
John

@ John

Electrically, it should be fine. No problem.
Note however that you should run 2 x calibration process (running on 2 preset of the box) because you do want to make sure the potential gain structure difference between the 2 boxes, will be accounted by Dirac Live. Does this make any sense?

DevTeam

I'm not exactly sure what you're recommending when you say "to make sure the potential gain structure difference between the 2 boxes will be accounted by Dirac Live." Which 2 boxes? There will be only 1 MiniDSP box, because there are only 8 channels (including the sub-woofer). Do you mean the "potential gain structure difference between" the MiniDSP box and the amplifier box?

I am placing the Y splitters after the DDRC-88A so that 1 channel in the Dirac Live calibration always corresponds to 1 speaker box. In my mind, it shouldn't matter what happens to the audio signal while traveling from the MiniDSP box to the speaker as long as that 1-to-1 correspondence is strictly maintained. Is my thinking wrong on this point?

A diagram is worth a thousand words... devteam may have interpreted your question about the Y connector to mean that you want to do some sort of multizone arrangement... but I gather you are planning to use a "passive biamp" configuration like this?



(From www.audioholics.com/frequent-questions/t...biamping-vs-biwiring)

I'm not seeing any reason that won't work as expected. I am curious as to what you think might go wrong?

Thanks for the response. Yes, I am planning to do passive bi-amping, as in your diagram.

I was pretty sure that what I'm hoping to do would work, but just wanted to have others evaluate my plan in case there's some gotcha I haven't thought about.

John

Well, I can't think of any reason it wouldn't work fine. You already have the amp channels and I assume cabling anyway so why not