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The midrange is the most important driver.

OK, I don't need you to believe the topic name. Just wanted to start a friendly discussion.

Among full-range, multi-way speakers there are usually at least 3 drivers:

  • Tweeter
  • Mid-range
  • Woofer
The most exorbitant prices are usually in the tweeter, followed by the woofer, then the mid. More or less. When I read discussions that are about tech-brands, it's almost always about the tweeter. Off the shelf prices in high-end speakers can vary from $40/ea. to $500/ea. with top of the line Be and AMT. Hard diamond tweeters are even more expensive. And yeah, I've paid a lot for tweets in my mains. Still, I think maybe all of us have been convinced that the tweeter is where we should spend our largest dollars.

Maybe it is the quality of the mid that determines everything else. It is where the vocals are, and how well it integrates and extends up and down the range determines everything else. From what tweeters you may use, to the dynamic range.

What do you think?

Best,


E
erik_squires
nevillekapadia
95 posts
 
My experience says that the lower mid bass is where most (75-80%) of the music presence is (60Hz-800Hz) and that is the critical part where the driver has to have the least amount of distortion, quick recovery and best tonality. 
You'll be surprised how little a signal the speaker drivers put out from 1Khz upwards. Still important to complete the full spectrum. 
Post removed 
johnk's avatar
johnk
1,975 posts
 
if its a fullrange its the most important otherwise a loudspeaker is the sum of its parts and design 

erik_squires OP
16,046 posts
 
@johnk

Of course, the end result matters more than the sum of the parts. What I wanted to get at here was more about how we think about full-range, multi-way loudspeakers a little more, and whether that was lopsided. I have to admit, I don't do this "right" if we go by spend. I spent about 2x as much on my tweeters, and my mid-woofers were pricey! :)

Best,

E
ryder
1,689 posts
 
It’s not only the tweeter, midrange or bass drivers but the cabinet and crossover that make up the speaker. There is no doubt that the type and material of the drivers are important but from what I understand the crossover design and type or shape of the enclosure whether it’s a rigid or lossy design etc. are more significant considerations in speaker design. Most speaker designers would be able to advise on this aspect.

In the end, I believe the consensus would be everything is equally important ie. the sum of the parts and the way everything is assembled, combined and put up together. Nevertheless, if talking about aspects of sound quality whether the treble, midrange or bass is more important, my pick would be the midrange. Having said that, a balanced presentation will take precedence over anything else in real life.
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