Greg, the phase problem you mention is only one of the many phase related problems. Phase induced distortion/coloration is another. Sure, there are methods of addressing these problems. My contention is that the cure is generally worse than the original illness. If I told you that your system would sound better if you would just wire-in a few transformers and capacitors into your speaker cables, you would think I was crazy. And you would be right! That is essentially what a crossover network is. Except, it is calculated to achieve the blending of drivers in multi-way speaker systems. Sometimes it is done very well. Most times it is not. When high end mfr's. tell you to wire-in transformers and capacitors into your speaker line, nobody thinks they are crazy. How come? Do you ever remember hearing a small table radio or old car radio that sounded really good, even though it was small? Alot of that "goodness" can be attributed to the simple speaker setup, driven direct with no other drivers or parts. Now table radios(boom boxes) and car stereos(rolling boom boxes)sound like crap, but they have plenty of bass. Such is the case with 98% of the multi-way systems today. There is a significant segment of purchasers who will place bass response over all else, and buy the "least offensive" big-bass speaker, and claim it sounds great. Maybe it does. This is subjective. I'm quite sure that the owner of the pulsating Nissan that reverberates subsonic shock waves through my house every morning on his way to work, thinks his car stereo sounds great, too. Now that I think about it, I could probably get rich designing a new single driver system utilizing a 24" driver that produces high SPL and only responds from 10HZ-150Hz. This is the only part of the frequency range that seems to matter these days, anyway. Maybe I could name it the "Seismic Oscillator" or "Primal Thump". Any takers?
Okay, the gloves are off. Let the fur fly
I would like to hear one single cogent technically accurate explanation of how a multi-way box speaker can be more musically accurate than single drivers or stats. As a speaker designer for more than 25 years, I have yet to hear an argument that holds water, technically. The usual response involves bass or treble extension, as if that is the overriding principle in music reproduction. My position is that any information lost or jumbled in the complex signal path of multi-way box speakers can never be recovered by prodigious bass response, supersonic treble extension, or copious numbers of various drivers. Louder,yes. Deeper,yes. Higher, maybe. More pleasing to certain people,yes. But, more musically revealing and accurate,no. I posted this because I know that it will surely elicit numerous defensive emotional responses. I am prepared to suffer slings and arrows from many directions. But, my question still remains. Can you technically justify your position with facts?
- ...
- 58 posts total
- 58 posts total