Best speaker driver configuration 2 way 3 way 4 way and more discussed (part 1)

[@jazz_vinyl]

Great video, I enjoy watching your channel! One comment about the B&O speaker, it should really be viewed as a 3-way speaker, with the 4-th driver acting as a "phase-link" - it fires in a narrow band with a peak at the crossover frequency between the woofer and the midrange, which are connected in phase. This technology was called "uniphase" by B&O, these speakers have linear phase response, are time aligned and transient perfect.

[@klik64]

You've got a great way of communicating, Kelvin. You made me really want to listen to an old Spendor speaker :)

[@keithmoriyama5421]

Sound engineers have a saying: 70% of the mix is in the middle. There is something magical about a well balanced 3way flaws and all-- bass, mid and high.

[@-doggy-6670]

About 4 months ago I agreed to sell a pair of 1972 Wharfedale Dovedales for a friend.I wansnt expecting much when I tested them on my system but was blown away!!!They sound so much better than my 2 way Mordaunt Short ms 3.30's.I'll be looking for 3 way speakers next time....

[@stereoreviewx]

Size matters

[@-doggy-6670]

@@stereoreviewx True,yes.They are quite a bit bigger but didnt realise how well they would work with my system/room size....happy new year....

[@peterrichardson9248]

Hi Kelvin, Please make some more videos you have so much experience to help us all.

[@AALavdas]

Completely agree. I have actually made 5-way speakers, but I run them with active crossovers and 5 dedicated power amplifiers. Conventional two-way speakers sound like portable transistor radios in comparison.

[@ThePhiladventures]

I really enjoyed how you communicated about these speakers, especially your info about different materials used to make speaker cones. I found this very helpful as i realised the sound transfer that different materials would project. Thanks for sharing :)

[@AndyBHome]

I wanted this video in February 2021 and didn't realize it already existed. Thank you Kelvin!

[@The-Spotlight-Kid]

I've also done 45'ish years enjoying music, first as a low'paid electrical technician apprenticeship (£8:09p / week at 1'st) ... listening through s/h speakers (& s/h vintage valve amps in my first 25 to 30'yrs (of real hi-fi) at cheap pre-eBay prices from local ad's & that old mag' "Exchange & Mart") I'm 65 now & bought my 'better' own hi'fi gear from 20'yrs old &+ when I had my first flat. I've owned many speakers from always looking to improve my sound. I remember that IMF monitor (I once couldn't afford s/h but bought the more affordable s/h 3-way KEF Concertos instead & later, a pair of Cambridge Audio (?) ...but tall slim f/standers with vertical grooves in their black grills ...gr8 sound! & i think with the same drivers as the KEF's Concertos. My point is about driver materials, paper woofers / woofer-mids always sounded best to me (tho KEF B139's flat-faced racetrack shaped woofers were gr8, with their polystyrene (?) type of diaphragm construction) Older Metal dome tweeters i heard were not often smooth but more often brittle. And my biggest driver hate of all is: Polypropylene woofers & woofer-mid drivers, no matter who made them, all the polyprop' driver'd speakers I've had or heard, all had an annoying cuppy colororation to their sound, esp' in the lower-mid but throughout. The Mission 770 'Freedoms" had that awful polypropylene coloration & I don't know why hi-fy mags rated them so highly. And I always enjoy your videos.

[@magichand72]

I would vote for the 3 ways I've owned over 2 ways I've built... Our main listening room has a pair of 3 way 10 inch Dyna- Audio kits (built 30 years ago from Meniscus audio)....I reconfigured them in a smaller formant replacing the woofer with 6 1/2 inch....Driven by a 90's Adcom system they punch base push midrange with crystal clear highs Recently built the Hivi DYI 3.1 with upgraded crossover from Amazon...Yes these little speakers do deliver in all aspects...Highly recommended....Though both sets are small configuration they keep up with my 70's ESS/Canton 10 and 12 inch in punchy bass and sparkling highs....Yes, size does matter, but contemporary smaller drivers with quality crossovers and aligned cabinets can make a huge difference....

[@stereoreviewx]

Yes I agree three is better than to almost always

[@myu4039]

I have a pair of Heybrook 3s from early 80s. Mirrored drivers. But the best thing was when I recapped the crossovers, they were on mirrored PCBs! I asked around and nobody had ever seen such a thing.

[@stereoreviewx]

Nice

[@ThresholdZhor]

In the 2 way speakers the woofer manage bass and mid-range, but when the bass moves the woofer it creates a Doppler effect on the mid-range sounds that turns a bit confused or un-focused that mid-range, but the more ways or components the more trouble at the crossover transitions, there were in the 70's a speaker with 5 ways but with a very good crossover design that you didn't notice those crossover transitions that was the Dahlquist DQ-10. One of the most clear mid-range I have heard was the B&W 802 S3 with it's Kevlar yellow mid-range, the only coloration of that speaker I found was in the upper bass due maybe to the need of a bigger bass box volume I'd say maybe 20% more volume to the bass twin 7 inch woofers, but forgiving that coloration at around 150hz that is a faboluous speaker. Another low colored speaker was the JBL L-112 On other side the Martin Logan's but they are roll off above 10khz and as I can hear to 13 khz I find them incomplete due to that 10 to 13 khz roll off but in the mid-range are excellent. On early 80's Canton from Germany made incredibly musical speakers for me much better than those Rogers, I remember Canton Plus S and Plus Beta active subwoofer they were super musical, now I don't like Canton's modern metal cones and speakers, those of the 80's was wey better.

[@stereoreviewx]

hi Thanks for your info ,yes metal domes just dont seem to deliver . the dhalquists are interesting i have never heard them but they do have legendary status in the uk maybe not now but in the 70 80s . interesting point i think the way the dhalquists arranged the drivers at ear level and i think mirror image is a big plus . if your happy with the look ,i would be . great to get peoples unbiased opinions.K

[@ThresholdZhor]

@@stereoreviewx The first mirror image speakers were JBL L-112 on 1980 as an improvement over the L-100 which was not mirror image pair. Since then every speaker design that do not employ mirror image design is a big mistake, this only apply when the voice coil of drivers are not inline. Because it affects the image and soundstage capabilities.

[@ThresholdZhor]

@@stereoreviewx first generation of Dahlquist DQ-10 was not mirror image then they made a 2nd gen with mirror image.

[@MostlyBuicks]

I had both Rogers Studio 1 and Studio 1A, both excellent speakers!

[@petermitchell6348]

Two of my all time favourite speakers are both 3 way. Celestion Ditton 44 and Castle Conway II.

[@ITatic-nf4wr]

Yes, I totaly agree about the mid range emptyness of 2 way speakers.

[@beslemeto]

Are Spendor BC1 the best vintage affordable speakers you have heard?Thanks!

[@ITatic-nf4wr]

@@beslemeto Can not tell...

[@jasonahdjfhsdfg]

Get some DM3s with EMI drivers, the midrange is glorious.

[@yannolove1335]

Hi, I have a 3 driver 2 way center channel Why’s most of the sound coming from the left woofer and middle tweeter and the right woofer produce mostly good bass is that normal ?? It’s a paradigm reference studio cc v2

[@beslemeto]

@@yannolove1335 It is not normal

[@scottdavis0801]

I found a pair of DCM Timepiece speakers. They definitely lack in the bass, and could be a little better in the highs, but the midrange is amazing!!

[@johnwheat5199]

There are some great two way speakers out there. However they always come with a compromising factor. In essence though, they only come in two varieties. Speakers that really only deliver high frequency and lower midrange, meaning they are totally dependent upon porting, and strategic placement to produce reinforced bass. Or, secondly, speakers which deceive the ears by forsaking midrange altogether in order to produce convincing bass and treble. The inescapable truth is, there really is no substitute for a decent, emphasis on DECENT, three way speaker.

[@stereoreviewx]

Yes a good three-way is a great thing and I agree it’s rare a two-way pulls it off properly. TheLS35A doesn’t deliver in the base but the middle and top is just beguile you so much you don’t notice it. K

[@williamh5780]

9 months ago. "We're in the middle of Corona virus". ☹️. I wish. Thanks for the vids.

[@arri1254]

Nice video, do you think a full range single speaker with the right box can work for critical listening?

[@duroxkilo]

Tannoy studio monitors, one transducer speakers since forever

[@donjohnstone3707]

Hi Kelvin. Have you had experience with any 2.5 way speakers? I'd like to hear speakers that use a separate dedicated driver for each octave from 20Hz to 20kHz. Do you think this idea is crazy or a good idea worth trying?

[@stereoreviewx]

You mean loads of drivers well I think this works better in the imagination, there wouldn’t be a consistency it be hard to put them all together seamlessly

[@donjohnstone3707]

@@stereoreviewx Yes. I think you are right about that. My preference is the classic 3-way or a 2.5-way system, which when done right, delivers everything I want for high quality hifi sound.

[@curtbradley549]

I was maybe ruined ..couldn't recover from my 4 way so fun rock n roll party on still love em ive spent soooo tooooo much chasing the dragon ! If your YOUNG 4 WAY ALLDA WAY

[@MichaelLevinMusic]

Would you happen to know anything about SONY SS-U515 3 way speakers? I can’t find anything about them. Wondering what time period they would have been built. They say made in USA. Anyways, any info you might have would be appreciated. Loved your video here. Cool stuff.

[@stereoreviewx]

Not familiar with those I mean generally speaking the Japanese weren’t considered good at speakers certainly not in the 70s 80s

[@MichaelLevinMusic]

Stereo review X, Haha this is what I read recently. There was not good speakers coming out of Japan during that time. However after digging more it seams they may from some times in the 90’s. But nevertheless they work, and I like them for what they are. I would say %50 of the speaker game is ones own ears. Thank you for the reply and very much enjoy your videos.

[@KevinSolway]

There's a lot to be said for a subwoofer and a couple of small speakers.

[@yannolove1335]

I have center channel that’s is 3 driver , 2 way When listening to music only one woofer is producing the sound tweeter right woofer only produce bass is that normal ???

[@Iwished4]

Best configuration.. a woofer, a passive radiator, two mid-ranges, three tweeters front facing and side facing.

[@matanavgust8404]

What with active subwoffer and seround speakers,??

[@justyna4276]

Nice one

[@marivor58]

Dual Concentric?

[@Andrewatnanz]

Is a mylar dome tweeter with a small paper cone any good?

[@stereoreviewx]

That’s hard to tell just depends what tweeter etc

[@cops1987]

Hi, I’m looking for a very big and powerful 3 way speaker under 400 pound, I’ve bought the Infinity SM125 produced in the 90s. They looks amazing to me, very big, very sturdy and heavy as I like, but the sounds is terrible... harsh and metallic with no details. The sound is not mixed well between the 3 drivers, just awful. I’ve got to sell them and find something else.. Anything you could suggest me please? Thanks in advance !!!

[@MatijaVabec]

I own 2 pairs of Canton speakers, one with silk dome and one with metal dome, and silk is more harsh and brighter.. metal dome sounds majestic and clean and is much superior.. so it's about crossovers I guess

[@stereoreviewx]

Well maybe not the crossover I mean the early metal tweeters 1980s for sure we are definitely spiky but if it sounds good it sounds good and I doubt the crossover is changing that characteristic Thanks for feed back I have never heard canton speakers . Are they German ?

[@MatijaVabec]

@@stereoreviewx yes, interesting thing is they produce 100% in house, from drivers to boxes and cables inside, everything..

[@duroxkilo]

sometimes the crossover changes the characteristics of a tweeter by reducing the voltage not just filtering out the frequency range.. an under-powered 'harsh' tweeter may sound more pleasant than a overpowered 'smooth' one

[@duroxkilo]

sometimes the crossover changes the characteristics of a tweeter by reducing the voltage not just filtering out the frequency.. an under-powered 'harsh' tweeter may sound more pleasant than a overpowered 'smooth' one

[@imqqmi]

JOHN Heisz on his audio chamnel also argues that it's just the cross over and I agree. There's this general perception metal domes sound brighter but this could be manufacturers playing to that perception and make it sound brighter. At least if the resonance frequency is outside audio range and the infinite baffle response is reqsonably flat.

[@MylarBalloonLover]

S75 is from the late 70s

[@bobkeller8383]

I agree, yeah

[@MrMarkhall1]

These speakers look really old fashioned,are modern speakers better?

[@stereoreviewx]

Good question No simple answer that’s kind of what my channel is about

[@SinusPrimus]

Modern Speakers can sound much better. Today you get better drivers, better crossover components, better Development,…

[@lolightfire]

I disagree with this video, I have a 3a Master m1 which are two way speaker and the midrange is amazing as well as bass that goes down o 30hz, same would go to Harbeth two ways which are very accurate in midrange. in 3 way design the crossover gets complicated ant time alignment is critical - many of speaker companies don't get it right

[@alanaban3519]

😀