3 way vs. 2 way


I currently have Mirage M5si bi polar speakers, I believe these have two tweeters and two 6inch drivers. For my room size I want to go to a conventional speaker. I would also like to give a high end store in my area the business as the owner is a friend. He carries Totem and B&W. I notice may of the Totems have only a tweeter and a driver. Can I get as good sound out of smoething like that as compared to a speaker with 3 or 4 in the cabinet?
128x128zar
Zar,

The number of drivers in a speaker is no indication of relative sound quality. The sound quality comes from the quality of the drivers and the implementation.

Many folks on this forum think a single driver per speaker is the absolute pinnacle of speaker design (I personally use a single driver speaker).

That said, a bi-polar speaker is going to sound different than a traditional speaker that has all of the drivers radiating in the same direction. You may loose some of the "presence" and off-axis response from your current speakers, but you may also gain some accuracy and pin-point imaging offered by a conventional configuration.

I would highly recommend you audition the Totem and B&W line and arrange for an in-home demo if possible. You may find that you love the attributes of these speaker lines or you may find that you prefer the Mirage sound.

Enjoy,

TIC
Less can be better...
Some single driver speakers are amazing-Lowther
Less drivers means less complicated crossovers (usually).
Some multi driver units are phenomenal also-Pipedreams
Since you say this dealer is your friend definitely get an in home audition. Also if you want better advice from us it would be helpful to know the room size and associated equipment. Good luck!