What’s the opinion of the group regarding bi-wiring their speakers?  In my current SS rig I’ve got my Forte’s bi-wired.  I intend to keep them that way with my soon-to-be-delivered UFO25 but I’d like the thoughts of others here who have 100% more experience with the SET amps.

Thanks for your response.  I went straight to bi-wire when I bought my Fortes and it’s impossible for me to know if there would have been any difference when I first hooked them up to my old SS amp.  The difference between the Fortes and my old Cerwin Vegas was quite astonishing so I’m looking forward to my first listen of the UFO25.  I think I’m sticking with the audio quest wires that came with the speakers for now.  I think I want to make adjustments after I’ve had a chance to get to know this new amp.

Cheers

Yes bi-amping, presumably with an external crossover, has always stuck me as a good idea in theory but a PITA in practice.

bi-wiring OTOH is easy, simple and the only downside is cost. I think the tradeoff between bi-wire and a better single cable of comparable cost is both system and wire dependent.

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I highly recommend it. Since Steve is kind enough to provide the part number, and I only need a few feet I was able to find a remainder roll of the stuff. I cut it to length, slapped on some bananas and got great sounding cable for not that much more than a roll of zip cord.

I think, in theory, you could achieve bi-wire with two runs. One with bananas at the amp end the other with spades or bare wire. JMO/YMMV and all that.

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Good on you. In the opinion of myself and others the UFO25 really benefits from a quality preamp.

Regardless, please keep us informed on the progress of your journey.

@Mike, your posts about yours and your son’s experience with Klipsch speakers influenced my decision to search for a UFO25.  Now that it’s finally here and hooked up, I couldn’t be happier.

I probably should have singled wired the speakers first, but I was so anxious to hear the amp that I just connected everything as was.  But now that I read this again, I think I’ll listen a bit more, perhaps through the weekend, and then re-do the cables and give it a listen.

So, six months into this adventure I can say that each successive step I take with my audio chain, the sonic changes get incrementally better.  I started with my Rega P3 RS running through a Pro-Ject Tube Box S2 into my UFO25 and bi-wired with inexpensive Audioquest speaker cables into Klipsch Forte IV speakers.

I thought the sound I was hearing through this setup over my old SS rig was pretty impressive but knew I wanted to make improvements.  The first step was getting a hold of a ZP3 which I found on Audiomart.  After getting it back from Decware for the warranty transfer and anniversary mods, I plugged the Rega into it and the ZP3 into the UFO25.  I was so anxious to hear the difference, expecting a not-so-subtle sonic change, only to be incredibly disappointed and totally let down by what I was hearing.  WTF?  Are you kidding me?  This $600 phonostage was kicking the ass of the ZP3?

This is where I should point out that I’m not very good at paying close attention to what the eff I’m supposed to be doing.  I decided to replace the new warranty tubes with the tubes that came with the ZP3 to see if it was just the new tubes and only then did I realize I had placed the 12AU7 in the front socket rather that its spot behind the two 12AX7 sockets.  Oops.

Once I corrected my error, I turned everything on again, dropped the needle and…HOLY CRAP!  What a difference!  My vinyl sounded really good with the Tube Box but this was a whole new ball of wax.  Expanded sound stage, greater separation of instruments, voices, more depth.  But, a very noticeable hum. Sombitch.

After consultation with Steve, the fine audiophiles on this here forum and a few interwebz searches, I realized I had to replace the cables on the Rega P3 so that I could get grounds for each channel of the turntable.  The re-wiring of the tone arm did the trick.  No more hum, even when the UFO25 was cranked.  

That was about three months in.  Three weeks ago I put a Swiss Digital Fuse Box on the UFO25 and one on the ZP3.  Another expansion of sonic bliss but subtle.  Finally, two weeks ago I got my ZSTYX from Decware and placed them between my UFO25 and Klipsch Forte IVs.

After talking with Steve, I chose not to bi-wire the ZSTYX.  Other than the obvious question of cost, Steve convinced me the inherent design of his amplifiers, especially the UFO25, would gain nothing by having an additional set of cables through which the signal must pass, that the signal recognizes which driver it must go and I would really be spending double the money on cables and connectors with most likely zero noticeable sonic difference.

I was skeptical that speaker cables would really make that big of a difference, and perhaps with my old SS audio system that might be true, but swapping out eight inexpensive cables for four, not-that-damn-expensive, cables was such a significant upgrade that I’m glad I made the investment in the ZSTYX.  This is why I’m here.  I don’t want to go upstairs and get dinner or take the dogs out (although I must or there will be quite the mess and hell to pay).  I want to sit here and, listen.  

The UHQR vinyl in my collection is an unfair advantage when gauging sonic differences between each advancement.  So I’ve been listening to the albums I bought in the 70s and 80s, Genesis Foxtrot, Larry Carlton Alone But Never Alone, Ambrosia’s first album, Supertramp’s Crisis What Crisis, and I feel like I’m finally hearing them the way the engineer and artist intended.

This has been such fun and I think the journey is really just getting started.  My thanks to the many Decware forum members who have offered suggestions and insight, I can’t wait for these next few months as I listen to everything settle in.

Yes, +1 for ZSTYX. Since Steve is nice enough to provide the part number and I only need a few feet I bought a reminder roll, cut it to length and slapped on some bananas. It blew my previous pretty nice speaker cable.

Also +1 for this forum. It is a great source of information and inspiration.