single driver speakers


Someone please help me out here...

I am struggling to understand how a single driver system can sound anywhere near as good as a multiple-driver system with crossovers...

I understand that crossovers and multiple drivers can have issues with interference, phase, etc - but those drawbacks would seem to be vastly outweighed by the increased frequency response and clarity within a frequency spectrum that a multi-driver system produces.

I see these

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis8ij2i-voxativ-ampeggio-due-70-off-priced-to-move-full-range

and just can not wrap my mind around how they could sound better than a multi-driver system costing 1/10 as much. (no knock intended on the seller of these speakers, I was just browsing listings and saw them so it made me wonder)

Thanks!
babyseaotter99

Showing 1 response by ddriveman

As pointed out by some of the replies above, single drivers have wonderful midrange, speed, tone, timbre and clarity that is hard for mutiway drivers to match. For example, a piano covers a wide frequency range. The bass will be covered by a woofer, mids by either a smaller cone driver or a dome mid of different material, impedance, sensitivity, dispersion,  compared to the woofer. And the high frequencies of the piano will be covered by a tweeter, again of different size, structure, performance, measurements etc compated to the mid and woofer.
In a single driver, the entire piano’s frequency range is covered by the same driver acting as a point source, which is the ideal. Consistency, coherence, no phase changes, smmoth imoedance curve etc.
Another key point of single drivers is the high sensitivy. They don’t need a lot of power. You can use direct heated single ended power amps. And that's another argument between solid state snd tube amps.
Note that most owners of single drivers started with multiway systems.
Keep an open mind, go listen to a well made single driver, anything from a Zu, Rethm, Voxactiv etc.
Tell us your findings. You might end up joining the club.