While I spent only a small amount of time searching for equipment, I have determined that to truly bi-amp or tri-amp, most of the time one would have to custom self-construct something based on proven designs. In order to for a manufacturer to have something available, either they would have to know all there is to know about your particular loudspeaker(s) and amplifier(s) in order to compliment the crossover points, gain levels, etc. needed, or they would have to provide a myriad of adjustments so that the end user could adjust to his particular situation. In the case of the latter, the end user would have to know how to adjust for the specifications of his system components, if he could even obtain enough detailed information from the manufacturers of his components in the first place.

As SH points out, testing would be needed to determine the final setup in any situation. Either one has to be able to this, or they have to know someone or hire someone.

There are loudspeaker manufacturers who have spent the research dollars in the design of their equipment in order to bi-amp or tri-amp with the amplifier output going directly to the loudspeakers without passive crossover elements. In those cases, you are buying not only the loudspeakers, but also loudspeaker-specific electronic crossovers and amplifiers, either built in or separate, but designed as an integrated system to follow the end user’s sources and pre/pro. This is usually a rather expensive path.

I have some loudspeakers that allow for a bi-amp setup, but they still, as designed, do not allow direct amp-to-driver connections. Even in a bi-amp setup per the manufacturer’s instruction, portions of the passive crossover network still remain in the signal path to each driver. In order to remove those passive components, any active crossover prior to the amplifier(s) would have to mimic any signal modification that the passive crossover was designed to accomplish.

Because I have some education and experience in the field, I’m willing to carefully experiment and hope to tread softly into an active crossover situation during 2004. Because all of my HT loudspeakers are of the same model, if I’m “really impressed” with the result in an A/B comparison, I can replicate the setup for as many of the other channels as I wish. I hope to report on the process and the results, positive or negative, in the coming year.

If you still wish to go down this path, learn, learn, learn first. If you’re still interested, begin your experience with items which will be no great loss, should something become damaged. By all means, safety first! Enjoy.