Perhaps the single drive IS the perfect solution. They just don't want people to know. Satisfied people don't need to upgrade evry few months.
First Order Crossovers: Pros and Cons
I wonder if some folks might share their expertise on the question of crossover design. I'm coming around to the view that this is perhaps the most significant element of speaker design yet I really know very little about it and don't really understand the basic principles. Several of the speakers I have heard in my quest for full range floorstanders are "first order" designs. I have really enjoyed their sound but do not know if this is attributable primarily to the crossover design or to a combination of other factors as well. In addition, I have heard that, for example, because of the use of this crossover configuration on the Vandersteen 5 one has to sit at least 10 feet away from the speakers in order for the drivers to properly mesh. Is this really true and if so why? Another brand also in contention is the Fried Studio 7 which also uses a first order design. Same issue? Could someone share in laymans terms the basic principles of crossover design and indicate the advantages and disadvantages of each. Also, what designers are making intelligent choices in trying to work around the problems associated with crossover design? Thanks for your input.
Showing 6 responses by cdc
So what makes a time and phase coherent 1st order speaker better than a single driver design like Jordan JX92s or Fostex F200A? Jordan has NO crossover, no components in the signal path to create distortion, no driver blending problems, etc. etc. Seems the more people talk about their 1st order T & P designs the more I like the single driver approach. Are the only benefits broader frequency range and louder volumes? |
Gregm, that's interesting about the Jordans. Is this a baffle step compensation if they are not put up against the wall? In my limited experience with single driver speakers, the biggest shortcoming IMHO, and this is highly listener dependent; is lack of detail especially in the higher frequencies. They are there but at a very low volume level. Maybe the driver jsut can't move this fast to reproduce at full volume level. The Fostex F200A is an 8" driver which measures maybe -2dB at 20Khz. Wish I could give that a listen. |
Greg, I like the concept. The equation I use is 1,100/ freq = wavelength (ft). So a 2" driver would start to beam at 8K. How do you align the drivers? If you use a 1" tweeter I would think you get a flare if you drop it in at under 13K. My concept is to use a 4" Tang-Band or new WR125S from Creative Sounds. Both roll off over 10K so you use the natural rolloff of the driver and add a tweeter with a capacitor to cut frequency below 10K. I'm sure my inexperience is showing here but this is what I'd like to do. Minimal x-over and F-R to 20k. Beaming would be a minor issue. On your 8K concept there is Hammer Dynamics 12" but I think the main driver has a whizzer which I am against using. Here are Other single drivers Have fun. Let me know what you think. |