bi amping with integrateds???

[slowGEEZR]

Ok, I've got a Krell 400xi integrated and a Jolida RX1000 integrated. The Jolida has both fixed and variable line outs. Is it possible to use the Jolida to power the panels and the Krell to power the subs of my Aerius? Can I just run an interconnect from the variable output of the Jolida to an input on the Krell? If so, can I then control volume from both devices?

 

[Craig]

It should work fine if you use the variable out from the Jolida to the Krell input. You'll need to switch the Krell input to the Home Theater Bypass mode. Doing so will bypass the Krells preamp section and enable it to function just like an amp. Refer to your Krell manual on how to do that. I believe you hold down the line input button for 5 seconds or something like that and then it switches to HT mode for that particular channel. Be sure to turn down the volume on everything first. Use the Krell's speaker outputs to power the woofers and the Jolida's speaker outs to the panels. You definitely want the tubes on the panels and the SS for the woofers.

You can also go the other way and use the Krell as the preamp/amp if your Jolida has a HT bypass function. What you want to avoid is using the preamp section on both units. Use one or the other but preferably not both.

 

[slowGEEZR]

Thanks. That's what I was wondering, if I should use the theatre bypass and eliminate one of the preamps. Now, how would I match loudness? The volume control on the Jolida would now, of course, control volume on both units, but is there a way to raise or lower the Krell volume relative to the Jolida volume?

 

[MotorToad]

If the amps' gains are the same you shouldn't need to. The output of the Krell should be set by the output of the Jolida's preamp section the same as the output of the Jolida's amp section is.

Even if one is a lot more powerful than the other, if the gains are the same then the outputs for a given volume setting will be the same until the weak one runs out of power.

If they're not the same, I'd go with an amp that matches the Jolida's gain as the standalone.

If you do want to mess with it and have volume control of the Krell, just hook the Jolida's variable output to the Krell and run it through the preamp as normal. The low volume-controlled input to the Krell won't match the Jolida's output until you crank it all the way up. Just have it turned down to start with in case there's any noise.

 

[Diamonds]

I think you will need a cross over to make this work properly. You will never be able to get the volume settings correct without crossing it over. I could be wrong. Do your amps not have enough power to push the speaker? What benefit do you think you will gain from bi-amping the speakers?

 

[slowGEEZR]

I think you will need a cross over to make this work properly. You will never be able to get the volume settings correct without crossing it over. I could be wrong. Do your amps not have enough power to push the speaker? What benefit do you think you will gain from bi-amping the speakers?

Benefits? I don't need no steenkeeng benefits! I have read that transistor amps may deliver better bass. This way, I could compare and see if there is an improvement. I've got the amps, so I figured, what could it hurt? If I try it and don't like it, no harm done. One of the best sounds I've heard was a pair of ReQuests biamped, with tubes driving the panels and solid state driving the bass.

 

[sebrof2000]

I think the only way to do it without an external crossover is the Jolida speaker terminals to the panels and Jolida variable out to the Krell with the HT bypass enabled. Krell Speaker terminals to the woofers. This way the Jolida volume controls both amps.

Even so, the woofers and panels will most likely not be matched level-wise.
I biamped my ascent i with a 75 watt Primare integrated and a 325 watt Sunfire power amp just to check it out. I expected the woofers and panels not to match for level, and I was correct. But what surprised me was that the panels with the 75 watt integrated were way louder than the woofers with the 325 watt amp. When I switched and put 325 watts on the panels and 75 watts on the woofers, the woofers were way louder. So I surmized that the Primare amp section had more gain than the Sunfire amp.

Regardless, if I had a tube amp and a SS amp at the ready I hook 'em up in a heartbeat to see how it sounded. I'd also hook them up both ways (tubes to panels / SS to woofers, then reverse). You never know what may sound better to YOU with those specific pieces of gear.
Try it and let us know how it sounds.

 

[MiTT]

I don't know about your Krell, but on my BAT pre-amp in bypass mode I can still set the gain to whatever level I want and control overall volume independantly from my HT processor (in your case the Jolinda). This effecitvely eliminates the need for an external crossover for gain. You will however be feeding a full range signal to the Krell and then on the speaker teminals, so you won't have the frequency controls you would normally get out of an external crossover.

 

[Craig]

So have you tried biamping with Krell and Jolida? I'm interested in hearing about how it works out for you. It should be a good combination if the levels aren't too far off.

 

[slowGEEZR]

So have you tried biamping with Krell and Jolida? I'm interested in hearing about how it works out for you. It should be a good combination if the levels aren't too far off.

Nah, I haven't gotten around to it. All of my good speaker cabling is bi-wired. Besides, the system sounds so good the way it is. When I do it, I'll post up. My wife will be at my daughter's house next week, so I'll have plenty of time to play then.