Does "full range" really mean anything?


OK, what's up with all the people who list as "full range" speakers that, by the manufacturer's own inflated spec sheets, do not claim to be full range? Speakers that only go down to 45 or 50 hz? And if we're gonna fudge the meaning of "full range" doesn't it make more sense to fudge it on the high end, since most people, especially people over 30, can't hear to 20,000hz anyway? I've recently checked my 47-year-old ears and discovered that I'm no longer hearing anything above about 16,000hz. But I'm hearing low-end just fine. I've also been studying the ads here for full-range speakers, waiting for a reasonably priced pair to come available. But I find that most ads for speakers are not, in fact, for full range speakers. Is this just semantics?
winegasman

Showing 1 response by dovetail

Winegasman, I use stand mounted 2-way's with 5" mid-woofers (Sonus Faber Signum's) and a dedicated REL subwoofer. In my small dedicated room (17'x12'x avg.9'ceiling) I find 2-way monitors and a separate subwoofer to be the best combination for the music I enjoy (small scale classical, acoustic, vocals, jazz). My sub fills in the lower octaves that the 2-ways can't reach and the 2-ways are free to do what they do best in the mid-range and higher frequencies.

I haven't had a problem with sub integration that others fear (I believe it helps to use a forward firing subwoofer with a infinitely variable crossover and a Hi-level speaker connection).

I agree with the above post that you have be careful that you don't put too large a speaker in too small a room. Also, pay attention to speaker placement and room treatments to aid in achieving the flattest response. A "full-range" speaker isn't going to sound like much if the room is reinforcing some frequencies and not others to the detriment of flat response. In my room a separate subwoofer gave me more flexibilty in speaker placement and therefore, more control over flat frequency response. Best of Luck in your search for "full-range" sound.