2 way, which are the best designs?


I've been looking for what is considered the epitome of the 2 (or 2.5) way design loudspeaker.
Be it active or passive!
I'd like to get some tips, please chime in
Preferably would be stand mount monitor, but floorstanding would be ok to.
(Today i use Barefoot Sound Micromain 27)
rird

Showing 7 responses by rird

I was thinking more of speakers offering full range.
Like Escalante designs Fremont.

Gosta, no they’re not. But i don’t get what that has to do with my question?
I’ve actually never used a 2 way design.
Lately I’ve been curious to listen more closely to a few. The mentioned ones above are rather small compaired to MM 27. Hm, forgot. I had a small PMC monitor 2 years. But it was hardly full range. If I would buy a set now, they have to better MM 27
Gosta, well, i have had PMC IB 2S and those i liked.
I got a good price for them, so i sold them.
But perhaps you're correct saying i'd better stick to a 3 way design.

Folks don't seem to bother to look what MM 27 really is.

For those that read this, it's 2*10´ bass drivers and 2*5´mid/bass drivers and 1´soft dome tweeter and they are monitors.

So anything smaller than an 8' driver is not going to happen.

I went with studio monitors simply because "hifi" is too expensive.
Had Barefoot been deemed home audio toys, the price had been way up.
I spoke to Tony Gee (acoustics) about a custom build speaker like MM 27.
He told me right away, it's impossible to build anyting like that for those money.
D2girls, i listened to K2 9800 i think they were named.
I liked those, but to big in my room. Part from that, i could never afford those.
Kenjit, if you think MM 27 are harsh, i wonder if you've heard the latest gen 2 and not gen 1?
No way gen 1 is too harsh. If you think so i don't know, but you simply must hate all hifi speakers and if so, why aren't you hanging at a DIY forum? 
I don't say this to be rude, i've probably owned 10+ speakers.
I can't keep count on everything i've heard over the 27 years i've been around. 
I suggest you look up studio monitors, the big ones and listen a bit.
Perhaps you'd get a view of what the best of them sounds like.

I should also say, i don't say anything to be rude. That's just ridiculous.
I've never understood those seeking forums to be a rude idiot.
I am merely seeking interesting ideas and to have an open mind is always good. It doesn't mean we have to agree on what others like.
But learning others ideas and preferences is no heavy burden to bear.

I hope you find your nirvana in your own design!
Gosta, i think the IB 2S is a superb speaker. You'll for sure adore the fast punchy bass. It's no boom but full of detail. Actually, in an A/B, they would hammer my MM 27. Overall it's probably a better speaker.
Ofcourse, i drove these with Krell FPB 600c, Plinius SA-102, Classe CP 47.5 pre and Krell FBP 25SC. Stand alone cdp was Meridian 588.
I sold the Krell combo and bought FPB 700C, KCT and KPS 28c.
The cdp was not to my liking. I should have had my Wadia instead in this combination. I sold all my hifi and went clean for a few years. I was tired of the sickness. Never ending quest and it went too far.
When i began again i bought Monitor Audio PL 300, Jeff Rowland Continum 500 and Wadia 381. I couldn't stand the tweeter of PL 300. It was simply to much focus on this region.
I felt a need to go as minimal as possible to avoid hifi hysteria.
So i bought MM 27 and used it with my Wadia.
But again, PMC's best speakers are IB 2S and MB 2. But MB 2 demands a room of size. MM 27 is easier as it allows a more near field. I think with PMC's, you should have 3 meter.
Kenjit, the later version have several voicing settings, mine have two. Flat and Nice. According to Thomas there’s about 0.5db difference. Actually, i tried now and perhaps i like the "Nice" better when using Nuprime Evo dac. With my Wadia 381 flat were very good.
Oh, i guess you hate top of the line Focal speakers?
A Swedish custom loudspeaker builder measured a few Focal speakers and they were not linear.