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Is the 2.5 way speaker the ideal home speaker?

Time for what I hope is another fun thread. 

One type of speaker which is actually pretty common but which gets little press / attention here on audiogon is the 2.5 way. 

A 2.5 way speaker is almost a 3-way, but it isn't. It is a speaker with 3 drivers, but instead of a tweeter, midrange and woofer (TMW) it lacks a true midrange. The "midrange" is really a mid-woofer, that shares bass duties with the woofer. Often these two drivers are identical, though in the Focal Profile 918 the midwoofer and woofer were actually different drivers with the same nominal diameter (6"). 

The Monitor Audio 200 is a current example of the concept, but I am sure there are many others. It's also quite popular in kit form. One of the most high-end kits I know of is the Ophelia based on a ScanSpeak Be tweeter and 6" Revelator mid-woofers. I haven't heard them, but I am in eternal love with those mid-woofers. I believe the original plans come from the German speaker building magazine Klan Ton. 

However many other kits are also available

But regardless of kit, or store purchased, are you a 2.5 way fan? Why or why not? 

Best,


Erik 
erik_squires
helomech
1,645 posts
 
@grannyring 

I made that point early on and it is one of the best advantages. That is why I also like a simple two way design.  Nice post.  
My apologies, I overlooked it.
helomech
1,645 posts
 
@erik_squires 

I'm not sure I follow, @helomech -

Usually higher tweeter points are achieved with 3-way systems which use a "true" midrange.

That's why I stated, "well designed examples."

I know of quite a few 3-ways that are still crossed over to the tweeter rather low, often in the 2kHz range. Some 2-ways are crossed this low, but it often doesn't work so well IMO. There's no hard rules in any of this, but I rarely come across 3-ways that have the coherency of well designed 2-ways.
erik_squires OP
16,013 posts
 
Hi Helo,

Interesting! Point me to a low crossover 3-way, please! :)

Though I think JA speakers does this. Their steep crossover slops let them push the tweeter lower than most.

Best,

E
helomech
1,645 posts
 
^ Eric,

Revel F206 : 2.1kHz

Monitor Audio Silver 8: 2.7 kHz

Paradigm Monitor 11 v7: 2.2 kHz

Paradigm Persona 3: 2.4 kHz


The first 3 I auditioned extensively. I owned the Silver 8s for a year They all lacked some coherency IMO. 
erik_squires OP
16,013 posts
 
Interesting! I always assumed otherwise. Especially with the Monitor Audio, that tweeter doesn't really have a lot of low end extension.

Definitely not how I would do a 3-way at all, but then hey, I'm not making the big bucks designing speakers.  It'd get a very lively, composite midrange and cross it over at 3-5kHz 

Best,

E
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