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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
shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,477 posts
 
In my meager experience I would agree with Duke and others about the crossovers. That is truly where the art meets the engineering and can make or break a speaker system.

Great point - it is certainly the weakness of many designs - this is where active speakers have a huge advantage (with a degree of control & reduction in distorton that is simply impossible with passive designs).
wireless200
415 posts
 
Shadorne, I appreciate your posts and especially some of the links you've provided in the past. I know you're a big fan of Active speakers. Could you elaborate on the reason for that a bit more? From my perspective, how does moving the amplifier from its normal location to the speaker improve the sound?
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,198 posts
 
The overall design matters most, and how well it is realized in practice, which entails all of the above.
gawdbless's avatar
gawdbless
1,235 posts
 
Because single cone speakers do not generally use crossovers and crossovers being generally regarded here as the most important part of speakers design, does that mean that single cone speakers sound the best?hmmmmm.....lol..............
mapman's avatar
mapman
22,198 posts
 
Its like asking "What is the most important organ in the body: brain, heart or lungs?" You need them all working together properly!
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