Been reading this thread with much interest as I've always wanted to see what the so called "magic" of a well executed single driver setup was all about. The closest I've come is my current setup of Ohm Walsh 3's which run a semi full range driver crossed over very high (I believe above 8 or 9K), these speakers do a lot well for me and leave little to complain about.
What's striking to me about this thread is that most people who have converted to single driver systems say it's the "distortion" of multiple drivers and crossovers etc... that they are free from that provide them a clarity and magic that multiple drivers can't match. However,the pro-multi driver guys say that the "distortions" of a single driver trying to produce ALL frequencies is like nails on a chalkboard to them. OK, so where does the truth lay? I suppose somewhere in between? Or is it that peoples hearing is so different from person to person and that what one likes another finds unpleasant? I suppose like most things in this hobby there will never really be a consensus but I find it interesting that the term "distortion" is what most people describe as their reasoning...
What's striking to me about this thread is that most people who have converted to single driver systems say it's the "distortion" of multiple drivers and crossovers etc... that they are free from that provide them a clarity and magic that multiple drivers can't match. However,the pro-multi driver guys say that the "distortions" of a single driver trying to produce ALL frequencies is like nails on a chalkboard to them. OK, so where does the truth lay? I suppose somewhere in between? Or is it that peoples hearing is so different from person to person and that what one likes another finds unpleasant? I suppose like most things in this hobby there will never really be a consensus but I find it interesting that the term "distortion" is what most people describe as their reasoning...