Single driver speakers without the pitfalls?

The original poster's question is akin to asking for a unicycle without the pitfalls of a unicycle; like asking for a unicycle for the balance of a bicycle; a bicycle with the stability of a 4 wheeler.

The physics just does not allow a driver to span a full frequency range without a lot of distortion. When I listen to "the best" single driver speakers I am amazed that folks can live with that distortion on a regular basis just to get some "directness" of sound. The only way I can make sense of that is that the technical challenge of using only one driver and no crossover is as important to them as the sound. In other words, they see the endeavor as a "fun thing" and a challenge as much as a "musical thing".

Kiddman,
I prefer when ever possible the simple alternatives and can appreciate the "concept" of the single driver/ no Xover. However as you point out the reality is a different matter. I'll choose an easy load high efficiency speaker with more drivers with a simple 1st order Xover as the best compromise for my needs.
Charles,

Every speaker design is a based on compromises, and how you react to those compromises, what your room is like, and how loud you listen will determine whether or not you like the single driver sound. I'm setup in a small room with a near field arrangement. 80 db at the listening chair is very loud for me. Most of my listening is done at lower levels.

If I was in a bigger room and if I liked to crank it up and if I wanted to really get quality bass below 60hz, I would not be happy at all with my system. For me, these are compromises I can easily live with.

After having lived with single drivers, I'm always shocked when I place conventional speakers in my systems. My first thoughts are always gosh, the sound is so muddled and for lack of better words kind of phasey and echoey sounding. I hear things from speakers that I'd lived with prior to my single driver setups that I'd never noticed at all in hundreds of hours of listening. I suppose I'm reacting to crossovers, sound coming from multiple sources, voices being played at the same time by two different sources and maybe drivers operating out of phase with each other. Things I suppose my ear had become accustomed to in the past and my brain learned to ignore.

That said, with conventionals I can start to now turn it up and appreciate the bigger more visceral sound attainable with multiple driver setups. It's nice, but not a trade off I like to make. I've played with my single driver setup in a larger room, and then all of the sudden, I can start to hear the flaws and limitations as volume requirements are now completely different.

Live music is big, impactful and can be full of low frequency energy. It also has a speed and a presence; an immediacy. For some reason, it is that speed and directness that I react to, and I get it with single drivers more than multiples. Like I said though, I think it works for me because of my room size and listening levels and I can completely understand how it's not a trade off that others can't appreciate.

Its probably more than just the speakers. More amps can shine with what they do better when a flat extended low end is taken out of the picture. Very low power tube amps the most. You have to have very large and very efficient speakers, likely horn loaded, to do flat extended bass out of a few watts. There is simply no other way. Most music occurs in the midrange though so getting it just right there can go a long way. Not everyone needs 20-20k hz flat at live like listening levels. Its also a good recipe for maintaining one's hearing. So lots of benefit to outweigh the trade offs.

Rebbi,

I believe I was the first in your SET thread to suggest building a kit…Your Welcome :) I am so happy you are going down the kit route and will follow your blog with interest.

Just read through this post and my thoughts turn like a few others to Tannoy. I heard the Kensingtons a few years ago and will never forget that experience. Seemed like pure music flowing out of those speakers.
My thoughts also naturally turn to Audio Note Speakers since you are building an Audio Note amp. None of these are single drivers but they do sound gooood!
Regards Jet