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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
alfajet7
11 posts
 
I have Loth-X Troubadours with 10 inch Stamm drivers in a folded horn construction. They are not made anymore. They are 104db so keep mobile phones away...they can be driven of a headphone amp! Using them with either 8 W pc 300b or 25 W pc 211 amps. Better than multiple drivers? Put it this way, I am also mastering and cutting records for a living, and I always bring the test pressings home to listen on the Loth-X set up. We have an awesome multi driver and 95db efficient setup using 211 tubes in the studio for mastering, which has superb resolution to 0.5 db, but it is the "nothing there" clarity of the Loth-X that is unbeatable. 
jmolsberg's avatar
jmolsberg
467 posts
 
gotta have yourself a listen. I used to pick them apart, couple songs later, their magic simply takes over. a quality set amp and high efficiency speakers are very rewarding. I ditched the multi drivers (;
seanheis1
627 posts
 
key is they need tubes. Solid state amps don't normally control their woofers properly and it can be a real mess. 
bache's avatar
bache
527 posts
 
kalali's avatar
kalali
1,977 posts
 
This article from Nelson Pass is a must read for those interested in this subject. 
It addresses many of considerations around matching amplifiers with the single driver speakers.
http://www.firstwatt.com/pdf/art_cs_amps.pdf
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