Single vs Multiple driver loudspeakers...

I have single driver speakers(Lowther) and I'm very happy with them. As reported above, the immediacy and transparency are truly amazing, as is the coherency. I don't think that I could easily return to the multi-driver type of speaker, unless it was something very out of the ordinary. This single driver stuff is really addicting, and it's hard to go back to multi driver after experiencing it. Of course, all speaker types have their strong points, and their weaknesses, but the strong points of single drivers are very strong and it makes you tend to not notice much of the weaknesses. It is worth a try to see how they sound.

I was just on the Lowther America website, and they have the new Pass stuff on there.

One thing that interested me was a quote from Nelson Pass, saying,"This is the best speaker that I've ever heard".

Now if you ask me, I'd say that when respected SS amp makers are getting into Lowthers, then the single-driver market is starting to get somewhere. It has always actually "been there", but it took quite a while to get some more widespread acceptance.

Sean and Eldartford, you guys need to listen to some of this stuff. You may be quite amazed what a couple millimeters of Xmax from an 8" driver can do with 2 watts input. I'm currently filling my room(24'long, 14' wide, 16' vaulted ceiling) with my pair of Lowthers and my 2 watt SET, and it is LOUD, and it does quite well down to 40Hz, really. I can hear it out in the yard with all the windows closed, when I walk the dog. There is more to this than meets the eye.

Okay, I suppose we just have drastically divergent listening needs.

Regarding some of your other points, the Lowther isn't really designed for front horn loading, and nearly all of the cabinet designs for Lowthers have rear loading of one kind or another, which is supposed to augment the gradual rolloff below 500hz of the front radiator. The rolloff is well known, and is accounted for by the rear-wave horn or TQWP loading.

I think that some of the nuances of this kind of system is not understood by many people who seek "perfect" response curves and the like. The purpose of this kind of system is the utter simplicity, and the acceptance of less than perfect response curves. It is this seeking of "perfect" response that has caused most of the mediocrity of "mainstream" systems. To get to this perfect flatness, or perfect this or that, ends up sucking the life out of the music, because of all the increased complexity and band aids included to try to attain that at the expense of all else.

I suppose that I must admit that what many would call a "ragged" response curve is okay with me, as long as at least a small portion of the life of the music is still left in it. Call me crazy, but flat response that is virtually lifeless is not my bag. I can see that flat response is very important to some others, so I have no problem with that. But that is not what I want, if it means that I lose what means more to me about the music.

I guess it comes down to what is important to each person. The 90-95db peaks at my listening chair is just fine with me. Suits me fine.

Maybe Nelson should have tried a Voigt Pipe. I have no problems at all getting under 50Hz quite easily, with authority. Lowther EX3 drivers begin audible compression at 108db, which is above my amp's ability to produce, so no worries there.

Somehow I've deluded myself into thinking that a very musical 95db at my chair with a somewhat imperfect response curve can be a quite exciting form of audio enjoyment.
Fancy that.
I wonder how that could be, after all these years of listening to more "normal" and "perfect" and expensive high end systems?
Maybe there's just some unknown aspect to it that intrigues me.

Manger has a pretty cool concept with their wave-bending transducer. It seems like it would have alot of interest, but the high cost might get in the way. The drivers cost quite a bit for experimentation purposes. Most of the info that I've read say that they are only good above 100Hz, and need a sub.