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What matters most in speaker design?

So...What matters most in speaker design?

A. The Drivers
B. The Cabinet / Enclosure
C. Crossover / Internal Wiring
D. Cost / Quality of Raw Materials (Drivers, Cabinet, Crossovers, etc.)

Yes, I realize the "right" answer is "all of the above" or better yet "the design that optimizes the trade-offs of the given variables / parameters that achieves the goals set forth by the creator." However, indulge me...

Can a great sounding speaker get away with focus on only 2 of the 4 above choices? Can a high cost of raw materials trump a sound design that focuses on inexpensive (but great sounding) drivers, a well engineered cabinet, and a decent crossover?

I was thinking about speakers that use relativly cheap drivers, but are executed in a genius enclosure with a good (but not exotic) crossover - and they sound absolutely amazing. This made me wonder...

What matters most in speaker design?
128x128nrenter
macdadtexas
1,794 posts
 
No enclosure is best, I agree with Muralman1. That means planars, or certain special designs such as those buy MBL.

Soundlab, Sanders Sound, Quad EletroStats, Analysis Audio, Magnepan, Emminent Tech, Soundlab, GalloAcoustics, lots of cool choices.

Then the drivers, then the crossover network.
ngjockey
1,042 posts
 
Resell value and brand recognition to be able to resell locally. ;)
audiokinesis
2,748 posts
 
Well the thing is, loudspeaker design is system design. Many an enthusiastic amateur has started out with "the best woofer, the best midrange, the best tweeter, the best crossover, and the best enclosure", and ended up with only an okay speaker. The professional designer takes everything into account at once, including in particular how it all works together.

I would say a good match between the drivers is necessary as a starting point, but in my opinion crossover design is the heart and soul of loudspeaker design. Cabinet design and construction matters, but it's not that big of a challenge in most cases.

Duke
dealer/manufacturer
nasaman's avatar
nasaman
463 posts
 
If you are aiming to design one, go for it. Start from low cost speakers first around $20-40 each then enjoy and be proud of your hard work. Anyhow, a great completed set DIY from PartExpress can cost up to $900/pair while you could preferably buy a nice used set here and you can easily resell later.
Well, as you already know, a great set of DIY speakers can sound awful with a bad cross over design. A decent set of speakers can sound nice with the right x-over design. Guys from PartExpress.com can help you with more details and ideas. Sorry I can't give you a direct answer to your Q because I find that each one of them is crucial and somewhat related to each other.
Good luck.
wireless200
415 posts
 
Duke, a lot of the Klipsch Heritage speakers used to have the 3 dB point at 17.5 kHz. I assume this level helped smooth out the sound and mitigated some of the horn harshness. I noticed your speakers quote the same number under the category of system bandwidth. I think this top end is mostly a tube "limitation" and you mostly recommend tubes for your speakers don't you? Is that what you're getting at - a speaker for tubes? We're always quoted 20 to 20 as the range of human hearing. Are those last 2.5 kHz nothing but irritation? :) I always read with interest your posts about speakers and the obvious expertise. I'd like to hear a pair out here in the southeast.
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