I haven't the time to read all the responsive posts, so some one else may have may this suggestion...
By far the easiest response I have ever had to make...THE BEST 2-way with good bass has to be the Devore Super 8s....hands down.
Try'em, you'll like'em.
John |
Here's my votes..
- Magico Mini II
- Kharma 3.2 FE
..But please not limit judgement of these two exclusively to their bass performance (which is 'superb' by any measure). As they are also a standard-setting examples of what best 2-way transducers are capable of today. |
The Version 3 is better than the Mini II, IMHO. The Kharmas are crap. I cannot imagine how they can sell them. |
Debates on MiniII vs V3 has been a long and endless one in other forums, imo, they are both excellent speakers. Speaking of bass, yes, the V3 may slightly outdo the MiniII in terms of punch and overall ability to drive bigger rooms, but in pitch and definition, I'd still give the nod to the MiniII. Finally then, it boils down to taste and preferences of the be'hear'der. I did not previously mention the latter as they are irrelevant to 'title' of this thread.
And as for the Kharmas, admittedly I did not have as much exposures to qualify proper judgement, but the few encounters I've had with them were actually quite pleasingly impressive. Though ultimately, far from the wanting to replace my Magicos as yet. |
Totem Mani 2 sigs
Reimer McCoullough
Standmounts and more affordable than Magicos |
You did not mention any restrictions on speaker size so I am going to suggest the Emerald Physics CS-2's. They are a floor standing 2 way with an active digital crossover and require biamping. They are rated to 20 hz on the bottom end and the bass has outstanding pitch and extension. (2) 15 inch bass drivers in an open baffle design per speaker so they can really move some air. They do require significant driver break in time when new, particularly the tweeter. They also need to be at least 3 feet into the room as per the manufacturers set up instructions. |
Dunno if it is the absolute best bass, but I bought a pair of Model 19s recently, had to re-solder some of the wiring to the crossover, finally got that done today and WOW! "BIG" sound at a great price. I have not found something else I would prefer at the price point. |
That's right . . . "2-way" doesn't have to mean "bookshelf". Try a pair of JBL 4435s. |
You want "tight and tuneful bass" in a two-way?? Check out Duke's Audiokinesis speakers. I have the Jazz modules and was amazed by the impact and musicality of bass produced by these speakers, which use a TAD prosound 10" driver. These are not small speakers, but they will work in small rooms (mine is 12x14) as well as large. The bass can be tuned using an adjustable port. I tried the Usher Be-718s in my room and enjoyed them, but really love the Duke's Jazz Modules. I'm finally simply enjoying the music and will not be looking to upgrade for a long time. |
Of the speakers I heard at RMAF, Duke's Audiokinesis speakers were among the 3-4 that most interested me (I don't think the Jazz Modules were there), if I were actually looking to replace mine, which fortunately, I'm not. They certainly would match up very well with my Atma-spehere amps. |
I agree with Jb8312. Please listen to the Devore Super 8's. They have very tight/accurate bass and are highly musical. They really are best with tube amps. I think if you listen to these first and then continue your search from there you will have a hard time finding a better 2 way with quality tuneful bass. The other nice thing is they are relatively small for the amount of bass they put out. If you have a very large room and like to listen at very loud volume then these may not be the best fit. My room is 18x16 and I listen at moderate volume and use a Prima Luna Dialogue II amp. I have no desire to upgrade speakers or amp. |
The Devore Super 8's were quite impressive in my one hearing, but they seem to be off the roadmap outside the NE. |
Ohm Walsh speakers are a very unique design for getting the most out of 2 way.
The wide range Walsh driver fires downward and the sound is emitted from the rear of the driver 360 degrees. There is a large surface area available with this configuration compared to conventional dynamic driver configurations. Also the porting is quite effective in extending the low end due to the fact that it is located in the bottom of the speaker almost 3 feet away from the front of the downward facing driver.
The Walsh driver in the Ohms is supplemented by a separate tweeter for the very high end, but most of what you hear comes from the Walsh style driver.
You have to hear it to appreciate what it is really capable of in terms of delivering a realistic, powerful, yet refined low end. |
Mapman, different strokes for different folks. I don't know what "the sound is emitted from the REAR of the driver 360 degrees." |
tbg,
Here's a diagram.
http://www.stereophile.com/images/archivesart/999Ohmfig1.jpg |
Mapman, I know how the Walsh driver works. I misunderstood what you meant by "rear" of the driver. I was thinking "rear" of the speaker. Sorry. I guess I would have said the backside of the driver. |
KCS's Oris 150's with 18" bass cones sure pump out some nice tuneful bass and go down to the low 20's or so.
Don't know if they are strictly a 2-way as they have a super tweeter connected to the midrange cone. |
