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Speaker of the Century Award Goes To ....

The 2.5 way speaker.


You guys probably thought I was going to fanboy over a brand, and I'm not. I'm going to fanboy over a speaker design. IMHO the 2.5 way speaker is THE ideal high end speaker for the majority of enthusiasts.


First, what is a 2.5 way? It is a speaker with 3 drivers, but the mid range lacks a high pass filter, so  it shares output with the woofer.  It has a number of advantages over smaller and larger speakers:
  • Similar footprint to stand mounted 2-way speakers
  • Ideal bass output for apartments and modest homes
  • Easier to integrate than big speakers
  • No subwoofer
  • High sensitivity compared to a 2-way using similar drivers
  • Reasonably priced


A number of brands have taken this approach including:
  • Focal
  • Joseph
  • Monitor Audio
  • DIY kits like the Klang Ton Ophelia, and Zaph Audio

So for the average enthusiast who is not a San Francisco billionaire I argue here (for the sake of an argument) that the 2.5 way speaker should be considered one of the great technical innovations in terms of users and results.
erik_squires
motown-l
197 posts
 
Call me old fasioned, but I like monitor sized three ways with traditional cone woofers, midranges and a well executed dome tweeter. I had some JBL "L" series speakers, back in the day, and lost them in a divorce. I intend on buying a pair of Wharfdale Littons, Btyston Mini T's or A's or if I hit the lottery, Harbeth's or ATC's. I realize this configuration calls for complex crossovers, but to me, this type of speaker covers the frequency range well and a dedicated midrange makes vocals soar. I don't have the space for line arrays, panel electrostatics or any of the cool sounding esoteric speakers mentioned above. I commend all of you who do.
erik_squires OP
16,379 posts
 
my all time  favorite speakers  when setup properly were
the Great MBL -101 Ultimates


Oh, yeah, there's three other audiophiles in my apartment with those ...

steve59's avatar
steve59
1,789 posts
 
Whatever you can afford that makes you want to listen more.
jhills
618 posts
 
Eric makes some very valid points, regarding a speaker design well suited for the combination of affordability, smaller available space for set up and environments with close neighbors.
My hands down favorite speaker that I ever had or auditioned, the speaker that drew me most into the experience of a live acoustic performance, was the Apogee Duetta Signatures. Definitely not a speaker well suited for small spaces, close neighbors and tight budgets though. So what qualifies as best, is quite relative......Jim  
richopp
760 posts
 
ANYONE who plays a musical instrument and likes either horn or box speakers has a hearing impairment.

Go out in front of the current orchestra that you play in/attend concerts by and LISTEN to the MUSIC in the room they are playing in.  THEN, go to another room and the same MUSIC played by the same orchestra will sound different because of the room.  Conductors know this and make adjustments.  Even some amplified bands know this, or at least the people who run their shows know.  MANY do not, and thus live amplified concerts are mostly a waste of time and money except for rabid fans who don't care about the music.

ROOMS are more important to music than speakers.

Having typed that, I suggest that everyone go to your dealer and pick up a few pair of various kinds of speakers, take them home to YOUR ROOM and listen to them.

Buy whatever sounds most like the orchestra to you and be happy.  I predict that those who play and/or attend concerts often will choose what sounds closest to live.  But maybe not...some musicians I used to serve at my shop were not really LISTENING to the entire orchestra, but only their own section.  Error!

Cheers, and enjoy the MUSIC!
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