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2-way design vs. 3-way design means ?

Just curious as to the sound difference between two-way and three-way, obviously a missing element on the two-way of the mid range. I own a three-way Cornwall and I’m thinking of going to one of these heavier and more substantial, build, quality, thicker walled bookshelf speakers.

I guess every speaker sounds different to every different human ear that listens …and it may be difficult to explain in terms of the sound. Obviously, a two-way speaker only has two drivers and possibly different interior components?

Like… what is the difference between a Fritz and a JBL century L 100?

moose89

Showing 2 responses by toddalin

toddalin's avatar
toddalin
317 posts
 

I like 2.5 way designs and have a few including the "Mermans" that I developed (JBL 2241H 18", JBL 2251J 9.7", modified Heil AMT) and the Super Big Reds with the Altec 604-E2s/Utahs.

 

Mermans:

 

The JBL 4435 is also a 2.5 way design.

toddalin's avatar
toddalin
317 posts
 

No, not necessarily.

A 2-1/2 way just means that there are two woofers that are allowed to play all the way to their "bottoms" (i.e., no high-pass filter) and are low-passed at different frequencies.

My 2-1/2 way Mermans use a JBL 18" and a JBL 9.7" and neither uses a high-pass filter. The 18" crosses over at 310 Hz with a second order Butterworth and the 9.7" crosses over at 3,500 Hz to the Heil AMT, also with a second order Butterworth.  The 9.7 has a natural roll-off from ~300 Hz down and is rated at 400 watts RMS and I see no reason to "taint" it's sound by filtering it through a capacitor.

On my Super Big Reds, also a 2-1/2 way, the 15" Utahs have a slow roll off (first order?) from (IIRC) ~100 Hz and the 15" Altec 604E2 crosses over to the horn at 1,500 Hz.

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