Do we really need anything more than 8" woofer and 1" tweeter for medium size room?

There may be no right or wrong answer here.  Everyone makes a good case for their preference.  I have 6.5" full range drivers (SET powered), crossed over to super tweeters at 10k and an 8" sub.   I don't need anything more than the 8" sub.  Within the limitations of the system and room (garage) it has plenty of oomph.  In another system I have speakers with 10" drivers.  I don't need more.  I tried a 12" sub and could plainly hear it down the hall but not at all in the room itself.   But an 8" driver wouldn't be satisfying in that room with my taste in music.  So within the confines of that system and room 10" is optimal.  If I had a dedicated room with full treatments and optimal dimensions I think I would want and need 12" drivers because they are so much fun..  

All this talk of high end 10 and 20 thousand dollar speakers , backed up with this sub or that sub, maybe you should be looking back instead of forward.
There are plenty of great vintage speakers out there that will sit you back a fraction of what is being discussed here and do an excellent job.
For a really great speaker, that's off the radar find a pair of Time Frame 600's, very nice speakers and they have the small drivers.
Find a pair of used Bozak 4000 b symphony's, super speakers.
I am a big Altec fan and nothing moves air like a 15 inch driver topped with a nice Horn on  for the mids.
I build my own speakers now, I have a pair of Altec model 19's I built of my own design, using GPA 416 drivers , GPA model 19 crossovers and original 811 horns with 802 drivers.
They have super clean , fast bass and will make you think an orchestra is in the same room with you.
They will literally shake my 3600 sq. ft. ranch home with clean  low end bass and  clean mids, no need for subs.
They did not cost 10's of thousands of dollars and did not need to be built in some super fancy boutique speaker shop.
Simple designs with good quality components and yes Great Plains Audio is the Altec of old, just a name change.
I would put these speakers up against any 25000.00 speaker and not flinch, the finish would not be as nice but I don't look at them, I listen to them.
Well maybe I do hug them once in a while, they are over five foot tall and 32 inches wide.

jafant3,974 posts08-15-2016 7:26am

inna-

an excellent 8" sub will work fine (Sunfire)

Yes and at least a couple others, Rythmik REL and Miller and Kreisel 8" just to name drop a few more. 

For full ranges try on some Audio Note and Snell 8" both closed and open boxes as well as some east coast oldies from Advent and boston Acoustics etc. I believe smaller drivers became more popular due to aesthetics and what the masses like and not as much to do with "better sound" in any way. It has more to do with speaker design and quality of workmanship that goes into the drivers and the cabinets. As with everything opinions vary.