2. speakers
  3. 192527-112139

Which sounds better 2 way or 3 way speaker design

Seeking to purchase one of the following 3 speakers:

1. Proac K3-2 way design

2. Totem Element Metal V2-2 way design

3. Triangle Cello-3 way design

I am under the impression, (which I may be incorrect) that a three way design is superior to a 2 way design.  All of the above speakers listed below retail for about $18,000 per pair. Am I correct to assume that a 3 way design will give the listener a much better chance to hear the full audio spectrum as opposed to a 2 way design?

Thank you.  

 

kjl1065

Showing 2 responses by larryi

larryi
4,231 posts
 

Even if you are limiting this discussion to conventional cone drivers (e.g., not considering electrostatic or planar magnetic panel speakers, bending wave drivers like MBL speakers), there are great examples of one, teo, three, and more-way speakers.  No speaker is perfect in all respects and each has different strengths and weaknesses and listeners have different tastes snd priorities such that a wide range of speakers can be favored.  I like the one-way, single driver systems from Songer Audio and Charney Audio.  I like MANY two-ways, some conventional driver systems from the likes of Audio Note (including their near six figure fieldcoil two-way AN-E speaker) ProAc, Harbeth, Fyne, etc., and MANY three ways, particularly three-way horns.  

I don’t think this particular design characteristic is determinative of sound quality.

larryi
4,231 posts
 

One of my favorite basic design is a three-way, with a compression-driver/horn midrange covering a wide part of the range.  The compression drivers I like are all vintage—from 1930’s to 1960’s.  I own a system fitting that description—twin 12” woofers (modern), bullet tweeter (modern), western Electric 713b midrange compression drivers (1940’s), Western Electric KS 12025 multicellular horn.

I mentioned two single driver speaker companies I like-Charney and Songer—above, and I would now like to give kudos to PureAudioProject which makes terrific open-baffle speakers, modt of them are two-way speakers.  

There are good speakers of all types.
 

 

More to discover