So much of this has to do with getting the right bass in the room. A smaller 2-way in an untreated room can often sound a lot cleaner and more balanced. Here’s a blog where I wrote about my 6.5" 2-way: https://speakermakersjourney.blogspot.com/2020/01/the-snr-1-room-response-and-roon.htmlIf your room sounds good, a 3-way speaker, or 2-way with sub, have some real advantages. Pulling the bass off the midrange driver reduces IM distortion, offering much more transparency in the midrange, but the extra bass extension may sound bad in the wrong room, and end up leaving the final experience feeling very unbalanced. In the middle of these options one of the most popular formats is the 2.5 way speaker. Small footprint. plenty of bass, and dynamic range. |
It's all in the choice of drivers and the implementation. There's no intrinsic "better". |
The beauty of a book shelf speaker is the small cabinet which can really make the " box " disappear. I am reluctant to recommend a three way in a bookshelf. If you go with a bookshelf make sure the midrange is really satisfying, if it is you won't find yourself lusting after more bass. The common complaint on speakers, almost all speakers. If you find one that is easy to drive the you should if possible consider a small output tube amp. Don't buy the hype that all tube amps sound great, so you really want to make sure the tube amp gives you the wonderful midrange that is possible.
Good luck
Jim
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You somehow, some way forgot the *other design*,, The MTM design, which i;ve owned past 17 years and have no plans at *upgrading*,,or *adding a 2nd speaker system*
I perfer 2 way vs the midrange in the 3 way,,I perfer a midtweeter vs a midrange. Midrange , too forward. |
Don't buy the hype that all tube amps sound great,
Yes a good tube design should offer transparency, fidelity, dynamics, not adding any muddiness nor fatigue. .
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What is the point of a midrange? To handle midrange frequencies better than a large woofer. Do bookshelf speakers have large woofers? No. So what is the point of a midrange in a bookshelf speaker?
Good question.
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I have owned many different types of speakers over the decades, including box (monkey coffin) speakers, electrostat (Accoustat 2+2s, planar magnetic (Magnepan 2.5Rs) and several so-called book shelfs, Reference 3A MM deCapos, and a pair of Callo Classicos 2s (mylar tweeter); these are small and terrific while they lack bass , a matching sub was available https://www.audiogon.com/listings/monitors-gallo-cl-2-huge-monitor-closeout-save-72-2016-01-12-speak... , but all this leads to my recent purchase... Emerald Physics open baffle 3.4s, 8ohm nominal, 96dB, easy to drive, with 12" carbon fiber driver and a concentric polyester tweeter per side. Now, it’s a floor stander, but only 38" high to the top of the 12" driver. Alas, the XOs won’t be here until Monday, but these should be tremendous imagers with excellent mids and upper bass I would look for a pair of these, especially if you can find a pair of factory closeouts https://www.emeraldphysics.com/products/ep-34hth |
Everybody knows 3 way is a fuller sound with better bass.HELLO!!!!! |
Are the Harbeth SHL5+ and Spendor Classic 1/2 bookshelf speakers? They’re certainly stand-mounted. What about the Graham Audio BBC LS 5/8? Two-way with a 12" mid/woofer. There are a lot of ways to skin a cat. (Apologies to feline lovers.) |
Millercarbon wrote:
" What is the point of a midrange? To handle midrange frequencies better than a large woofer. Do bookshelf speakers have large woofers? No. So what is the point of a midrange in a bookshelf speaker?
"Good question."
Well I was going to say "good question", but you beat me to it!
Imo there are at least two arguments in favor of doing a three-way bookshelf speaker:
First, relative to the typical off-axis response discontinuity between a midwoofer and dome tweeter in a two-way, there will be less discontinuity between woofer and mid, and also less discontinuity between mid and tweet. So the reflections will (usually) sound more like the direct sound, which is imo desirable.
Second, handing off much of the midrange duties to a dedicated midrange driver theoretically frees up the designer to use a woofer which has been optimized for the lower part of the spectrum.
There are also disadvantages: Now you have two crossover points instead of one, and at a given price the money for drivers and crossover components is spread more thinly.
Execution matters more than the number of "ways", and the best designs are often the one which are exceptions to whatever rules of thumb I or anyone else might come up with... for example, Fritz speakers totally defy my expectations for a two-way bookshelf speaker.
For an example of a designer taking advantage of what can theoretically be done in a three-way bookshelf speaker, google "Cliffhanger Bulldog". Sadly discontinued, this was imo a superb design.
Duke
former Cliffhanger dealer, fan of Fritz
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I have bookshelf speakers 2 way with 12'' woofers sound nice |
Within a lower price range, I would always go with a 2 way. |
jbj l100 3way 5'' mid 12'' woofer is a bookshelf speaker 24'' high jbl 4425 studio monitor 2way 12''woofer 24'' high bookshelf speaker 1985 i have them sound great the 4425 is more real sounding to my ears |
