single driver speakers


Someone please help me out here...

I am struggling to understand how a single driver system can sound anywhere near as good as a multiple-driver system with crossovers...

I understand that crossovers and multiple drivers can have issues with interference, phase, etc - but those drawbacks would seem to be vastly outweighed by the increased frequency response and clarity within a frequency spectrum that a multi-driver system produces.

I see these

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis8ij2i-voxativ-ampeggio-due-70-off-priced-to-move-full-range

and just can not wrap my mind around how they could sound better than a multi-driver system costing 1/10 as much. (no knock intended on the seller of these speakers, I was just browsing listings and saw them so it made me wonder)

Thanks!
babyseaotter99
If your in the NJ, NY, Eastern PA area or you want to fly to Newark Liberty make an appointment with Brian of Charney Audio. He builds full range single driver rear loaded horns based on the Tractrix theory.
I have had the pleasure of listening to Zu, Rethm, Beauhorn, Lamhorn, Horning, Cardersound, Cain&Cain, Voxativ and Carfrae. None of them can deliver the full spectrum of sound quality like the Charney Audio offerings! About a year ago I had the privilege of listening to the Charney Companion Lowther DX65 ($6500.00) next to the Voxativ Ampeggio Signature ($33,000.00) at a dealer. There was no compaison! Companion Lowther DX65 was superior to Ampeggio Signature in all areas! Imaging, soundstage, tonal balance, depth of field, and deep articulate bass. Yes I said deep articulate bass from a 5.5" driver, no sub needed! This from a speaker that is 1/5th the cost! Charney also offers the Companion with a Voxativ AR 2.6 driver ($8900.00) that slightly betters the DX65, but at a much higher cost.

Find out for yourself with a visit to Charney Audio.
http://charneyaudio.com/

Another vote for Charney if you want single driver. Of course all designs have there pluses and minuses so always something to keep in mind. You might gain in one area and give up in another. Lots of fun to try different designs though.
Single drivers must be the future, we just need the engineering to catch up. Overnight multiways will become obsolete.

In the meantime if you can live with their limitations then good for you. If you can't, then at least try to find a speaker where the entire midrange is covered by a single unit.

Unfortunately, in a lot of speakers the crossover point could not be placed in a worse point.
I cannot answer for the speakers above but I have built field coil speakers that will take your breath away.  The need a fast sub to integrate with them but you cannot find or hear any other speaker that has the speed, clarity and musicality of them.  The drivers used cost $3500 and up per pair that I used in building them.  They are powered by a external power supply no crossovers here.  

Most speakers today are permanent magnet which means they have a fixed magnetic field created by a magnet. With a fixed magnet speaker the voice coil is suspended in a gap between the poles of the magnet. The voltage that is applied to the voice coil causes it to move in and out.

A field coil speaker uses two coils; the voice coil and a field coil. Instead of a magnet, DC is applied to the field coil creating a magnetic field. This takes the place of the permanent magnet in creating the fixed magnetic field. Field coil-based drivers claim to drastically reduce distortion levels, and are able to control the driver much more accurately. Drivers in speakers vibrate up to thousands of times per second. Some claim that permanent magnets actually lose strength slightly with each vibration, causing a loss of low-level information and a blurring of the signal. Field coil drivers, with their own power supplies should not lose strength and so have much less distortion than their permanent magnet counterparts.

Like electrostatic speakers, field coil speakers have to be plugged-in to work. The sound gets more relaxed as you lower the voltage, and the highs and lows will be more extended and detailed as you raise the voltage.  What you hear is just pure music beautifully reproduced.

Hope this helps.  Happy Listening.

single driver speakers can do good only on vocals and string quartets.
nothing else will be sounding up to par no matter whatcha do.