I recently bought a pair of Klipsch RF-28 floor speakers which I'm hooking up to my old Panasonic 100-watt 5.1 receiver. Each speaker has a pair of wire inputs, one for HF and one for LF (I assume this is high frequency & low frequency). Every speaker I've ever owned before this had one set of inputs so I'm trying to figure out how I'm supposed to connect them to the receiver. For front speakers my receiver has left & right banana jack inputs and another set of regular speaker inputs labeled "Front B." Can anyone recommend the best way to connect these speakers? Any help will be greatly appreciated. If not, I'll contact Klipsch customer support tomorrow, but they'll probably tell me I need a new receiver...which is not an option at this point. Thanks.

http://www.klipsch.com/blog/how-to-bi-amping-a-speaker

Klipsch can be bi-amped but it's not necessary and this blog shows you how to do it or not.

Usually bi-wired is also an option. It seems to slightly improve sound quality & doesn't require any additional amplification.

Steven Wilson should do a Gene Simmons-type thing where, if you pay him some ridiculous sum of money, he'll personally come over to your place and set up and calibrate your system for you. Afterwards, he'll drink a cup of tea with you as you listen to an exclusive rough mix of one of his 5.1 remixes.

Thanks, John. I think I understand this but I'm not quite sure which wires I should connect to each input on the speakers. I assume the fact that my receiver has Front B outputs means that it can transmit two different frequencies, and the Front B wires should go to the LF (low frequency) inputs on the speakers. Does that make sense?

Also, I use a subwoofer, so is the low-frequency on the Klipsch speakers even necessary?

Is b-wired the same as bi-amped? I'm guessing I won't hear much of, or any, difference with my components but it would be good to get the optimal sound for my space.

We can all chip in for his fee and make it into a home concert.

In your case you are bi-wiring not bi-amping so you connect the main speaker wire L and R to the lower posts and run a wire from the lower post to the higher post.

Bestbuy sells Klipsch so you can just stop in and ask the speaker specialist how to bi-wire and get the proper wire or jumper. In that photo they are using a jumper cable so maybe Bestbuy sells that. You do need the low frequencies in the speaker as it plays the middle frequencies and your sub should only handle the real low frequencies.

I've never bi-wired but I believe that's what Klipsch is looking for.

Are you saying I shouldn't...or can't...run separate wires from the two sets of outputs on my receiver to the two inputs on the speakers? Would that not send the right frequencies to the speakers? I feel like that's an easier job, and I have the speaker wire for it, while bi-wiring will we require me to buy something else.

The people I've dealt with at Best Buy in the A/V area (one of the stores near me has a Magnolia Home Theater inside) have not been terribly knowledgeable, so I don't trust them to help me with this.

Here is a good diagram I found that seems very easy and takes care of your problem.

Thanks, John. That's interesting. So it looks like it's two sets of speaker wire for each channel going from a single output on the receiver. Any idea why that's better than having those same two speaker wires going from the two separate outputs (Front and Front B) on the receiver?

I would guess it’s just the nature of bi-wiring and the capabilities of a speaker like a Klipsch. It helps open up the sound and many expensive speaker lines use bi-wiring. It should sound very nice.

Here's Crutchfield's explanation:

A bi-wire cable has one pair of connections on the amplifier end, but two pairs of connections on the speaker end. This lets it take a full-range signal from the amp and send it down separate paths, which can improve treble and bass performance. Bi-wiring also removes the connective brass jumpers from the signal path, which are typically less conductive than bi-wire cables.

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Bi-wired is different from bi-amped. It sounds like your speakers support it. You connect 2 sets of wires at the amplifier (making sure they are in phase) & than run one set to each input on the speakers (again being careful about phase). It's an audiophile thing that most people are unaware of. I've found it does make a difference.

Wrote the above before I saw John's post. He put it better than I did. But it appears that we are saying the same thing.

Thanks guys. Can I use standard speaker wire for bi-wiring? John mentioned using bi-wire cable so I don't know if that's a specific thing I need to buy.

Also, Geff...what do you mean about being "in phase"?

You can use regular speaker wire to bi-wire.
"In phase" just refers to ensuring that you have the positive lead from your amp connecting to your positive leads on the speakers, and negative to negative. If you don't do this, you will lose bass and imaging is poor. It won't harm any equipment. Just doesn't sound good.

Same as what John's graphic showed: Make sure the hot & ground leads do not get reversed at any point in the process.

You can use cheap zip wire if you wish. However, the better cable you get, the better it will sound. The compromise I chose in the 90's as a compromise between price & performance was the (then) $1.00 a foot Tara Omni. I don't think that's still being made. No recommendations at the moment, but with the net value recommendations should be easy to Google.

I used to think that spending $'s on quality cable was a joke, until I heard the difference very clearly in demos.

Jason & I must have posted at the same time! I agree with everything he said.

Thanks, Geff & Jason. I have a good quantity of decent quality speaker wire so I'll try bi-wiring the speakers this weekend. Based on what everyone has said, it sounds like that's the better option than running one set of wires from the Front output and another from the Front B output on my receiver. Will let you know when it's done and how it sounds.

I suspect with "Front A" & "Front B you'd only be using the 1 amplifier stage, so I'd agree with your choice.

Thanks, Geff. I assume by "your choice" you mean my decision to follow everyone's advice and connect to each of the speaker inputs with wires coming from the same outputs on the receiver. Will try it tomorrow. Wish me luck.