Single driver full range speakers


Hi,
I am a simple home hobbiest. I've built an great sounding full range single speaker set (so no cross-over,, and that's the point. I don't want a x-over).
But of course it lacks terribly in bass. Is it possible (is it commonly done?) to add a woofer into the cabinet with no cross-over (again, simple straight wire to amp). Would it require wiring in parallel or series?

Currently each speaker has one TangBand W8-1808 full range 8" driver and sounds very good.

Thanks in advance, I really would like to know if this is possible (safe?) to do.
Rob

tunehead

Showing 3 responses by tcutter

"Full range single driver" (FRSD) is often an oxymoron. Because there is no crossover,  the midrange and a few octaves on either side might be the best you ever heard, but they are lacking at the extremes, necessitating a subwoofer, supertweeter or both. Many times these are simply cobbled together and levels, timbre, phase, etc., are often mismatched. An exception would be German Physiks and a few others that do employ only one driver and achieve phenomenal extension. Most do not.

Wilson Benesch uses a 2.5 way design that direct-couples their midrange driver to the amp. This 7 inch driver’s frequency response is approximately <100Hz - >5KHz, which some might regard as full range or close to it, practically speaking. They then use acoustic or first order crossovers to mate this driver with their proprietary tweeter and woofers to yield 30Hz to 30KHz. While a subwoofer will be needed to get to 20Hz, the seamless integration of their "FRSD" with their impeccably designed, constructed and matched high and low ends yields what I think many are trying to achieve, which is a lucid midrange with transparent extension to the extremes. 

@westcoastaudiophile 

It's relatively flat response lies between 200Hz and 5 KHz and is not what most think of as "full-range". 

@helomech 

Exactly. And this is why a properly designed 2.5 way with the midrange directly coupled to the amplifier provides the benefits without significant downside.