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Speaker of the Century Award Goes To ....

The 2.5 way speaker.


You guys probably thought I was going to fanboy over a brand, and I'm not. I'm going to fanboy over a speaker design. IMHO the 2.5 way speaker is THE ideal high end speaker for the majority of enthusiasts.


First, what is a 2.5 way? It is a speaker with 3 drivers, but the mid range lacks a high pass filter, so  it shares output with the woofer.  It has a number of advantages over smaller and larger speakers:
  • Similar footprint to stand mounted 2-way speakers
  • Ideal bass output for apartments and modest homes
  • Easier to integrate than big speakers
  • No subwoofer
  • High sensitivity compared to a 2-way using similar drivers
  • Reasonably priced


A number of brands have taken this approach including:
  • Focal
  • Joseph
  • Monitor Audio
  • DIY kits like the Klang Ton Ophelia, and Zaph Audio

So for the average enthusiast who is not a San Francisco billionaire I argue here (for the sake of an argument) that the 2.5 way speaker should be considered one of the great technical innovations in terms of users and results.
erik_squires

Showing 1 response by pinthrift

pinthrift
210 posts
 
lol, mrdecible  ...regarding "affording a dedicated listening room."  Here, the solution was simple...giving my wife the rest of the entire house, the basement and the garage.  This permitted me to "have" a dedicated "sound studio."  Now, it has taken 18+ years to get an almost cube 10'x10'x7 1/2' room to disappear: electrical panel circuit isolation /  ...dedicated lines / upgrade outlets / cables / rfi attention / much gear isolation both inside and outside / sealed monitors atop sealed subwoofers / uber-precise feathered DSP (no damage if done expertly) / careful attention to music sources hi-res streaming lately / lossless carefully selected redbook rips with attention to labels, engineering and good masters / major room tuning using open cell foam cut into 17" triangles including ceiling & room corners.   
Granted, it ain't pretty...however, when the Sweetspot Siren makes her nightly appearance with the lights off...  more peace.  Pinthrift
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