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Okay, the gloves are off. Let the fur fly

I would like to hear one single cogent technically accurate explanation of how a multi-way box speaker can be more musically accurate than single drivers or stats. As a speaker designer for more than 25 years, I have yet to hear an argument that holds water, technically. The usual response involves bass or treble extension, as if that is the overriding principle in music reproduction. My position is that any information lost or jumbled in the complex signal path of multi-way box speakers can never be recovered by prodigious bass response, supersonic treble extension, or copious numbers of various drivers. Louder,yes. Deeper,yes. Higher, maybe. More pleasing to certain people,yes. But, more musically revealing and accurate,no. I posted this because I know that it will surely elicit numerous defensive emotional responses. I am prepared to suffer slings and arrows from many directions. But, my question still remains. Can you technically justify your position with facts?
twl
albertporter's avatar
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albertporter
4,949 posts
 
Bishopwill. Yes I understand and agree with your points. I also agree with Twl's points.

It is not possible with current technology to build a perfect speaker. It is possible however to build a wonderful speaker that compromises sound in one way or another.

I think this is an excellent topic for discussion, and although I am an avid Soundlab fan ( a single driver), I have posted time and again here at Audiogon in favor of Vandersteen, Audio Artistry, Avalon, Kharma and other fine multi cone driver systems.

I am very much enjoying the discussion, and can easily side with either point of view. In fact, I do.
detlof
1,899 posts
 
I also share Albert's point of view, in having heard many multi cone driver systems, which I enjoyed immensely. But it was for pure musical reasons that basically I've always reverted back to single driver systems for listening at home and then rather concentrated on overcoming their shortcomings, while building on their strenghts at the same time. The outcome was a hybrid thing, not unlike the HQD System of yore, but depending heavily for musical reasons on the difficult to beat midrange rendering of stators, where afterall most of the music is.
unsound
7,314 posts
 
Touche' Zaikesman.
7p62mm
97 posts
 
I tend to think that a compromise may be in order. I own a pair of Ohm speakers and it does sound like Sean is describing them in his post. Somewhere down the line when the recession ends I plan to add a subwoofer to my system. This will lessen the amount of work that the Walsh driver's are having to do. I doubt that this will hurt the sound stage and imaging much while allowing much greater overall SPL's. I won't know until I try it though.
tireguy
1,964 posts
 
7p62mm- Great moniker!!!! full metal jacket? lol
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