Two 180's !!
Posted by: Matt worlock on 17 July 2001
I have heard of people employing two power amps (biamping), how is this done with naim gear & why would I want to?? i.e What are the sonic benefits?
Surely it would be better to use monoblocks albeit at a higher cost??
Thanks go to the people who answer my stupid questions!! 
If you already own a 180, then buying another is significantly cheaper than buying a couple of 135s.
Opinion seems a bit divided on bi-amping, but the sonic benefit should come from driving the speakers with more power. I've tried it with 2x250s on my Wilson Benesch speakers, I thought there was an improvement over 1x250, but not in the same league as a pair of 135s.
David
Which Wilson Benesch are you using?
I was under the impression, the 250 is sonically similar to the 135's but with less power - am I wrong here? Would you recommend 135's to use with WB ACT 1, or ACT 2 for that matter?
Interesting point: When I was kind of unhappy with the slight harshness of my WB ACT1 with the 250, I asked WB for advice. They replied, that they do not recommend NAIM power amps, as they were tuned to fit (?LINN?) speakers.
Regards
Urs
I am using Wilson Benesch Actors. These are not as difficult to drive as ACT1s or ACT2s. I find the 250 fine with the Actors. I tried the ACT1s and although they are definitely a more transparent speaker (yes I wanted them), I thought the 250 didn't really drive them (and I couldn't afford them - minor detail)- perhaps this is what WB meant. I've certainly had conversations with WB, and they never mentioned such a point.
I've heard differing opinions on ACT1s/2s with Naim Amps. Personally I would like at least 135s for them, I know others would say you really need a 500. On the other hand, David Antonelli uses a 250 with ACT2s and is very happy.
With the Actors, 135s really tighten up the treble, and reveal layers of bass that doesn't come through with the 250. I think the sound of 135s is slightly different in a way that I haven't heard in going through 140-180-250, so it's worth checking that you like the sound.
I'm suprised by the comments about harshness, because that is something which I would say isn't the character of the speakers. Most issues I've had with a harsh sound have come down to bad set-up, stands or room acoustics.
David