two way v. three way speakers


I recently heard some magico mini's at a friend's house. They sounded amazing. And they were 'only' a two way speakers, but they filled the room with amazing sound. So now I wonder, what does the additional driver add, especially when it is the same size as the second driver. For example, the SF Olympica III's have two drivers of the same size. I know that third driver adds a lot to the price, but what does it sonically? Thank you all in advance.
elegal
There are big differences in image wide and depth. But also in the level of sharpness in individual focus of instruments and voices.

I use the word 2 dimensional when there is no depth or maximum 1 metre.

When you compare speakers, after time you know the differences between them. And yes you know the level in depth and wide of the speaker. But also how sharp the individual focus of instruments and voices is.

Amps have a very important influence on the speakers and stage. But I have used amps which can make a wide and deep stage connected to speakers which I see as 2 dimensional. The stage was so much smaller and less deep than with other speakers which I call 3 dimensional.

You own speakers and amps which can make a wide and deep stage as well. You should know what it is.

With cables you still can increase the stage depth and wide. As you can increase the level in blacks. And drive and timing. And decay and resolution. Also the sharpness of individual focus of instruments and voices.

With the more expensive silver Audioquest interconnects and loudspeakercable and the best Purist Audio powercables I can get your set to a much higher level than with Transpanrent cables.

I can describe very precise why.....

First of all the level in blacks is superior to what you can achieve with Transparent. The person who does Transparent in my country visit me a few times. He agreed that Transparent is not able to get the same stunning level in blacks I have at home.

There is a lot more. The silver in my set increases the decay and makes the stage in the right and left corner of the spakers wider and deeper. Audioquest and Purist are both better in timing compared to Transparent.

The sharpness of individual focus of instruments and voices is also better. Even the hights of a recording becomes more Obvious. The silver makes voices and instruments more what I call round. This is an important part of the 3D level.

Is there an advantage of the Transparent compared to the mix of Audioqest and Purist Audio?

Yesss there is. Transparent is more involving in the mid freq. This is caused by the use of copper.

But overall the extra parts you can achieve with the Audioquest/Purist Audio combi are very effective and convincing. You can't deny them.

Because these parts are essential for the absolute sound or what I call TOTAL SOUND.
Thank you for your advice Bo. You don't have to believe me, but everything you have described in your systems from the blacks, to the 3D to every great adjective I have read you use in your many posts, I have that in my system. But also a few things I don't see you talk much about, namely a very natural, realistic, musical sound. Tone, Dynamics and Presence. And something less concrete: connection.

I have not heard that in any system that uses digital and room correction. Ever. But I am sure your systems can do it. I have heard Purist cables in a friends system, but I did not like it, nor did he and he sold them. Your Purist cables must have been much different and better. I know you realize that the Class A Pass amps are capable of this. I'm here to tell you that Magico and SME and Transparent are capable of it too. I hear it more in analog than in digital, but that is just me.

Congratulations on your business and the help you offer your clients. I know that music and audio are your life. I have no doubt that they are happy with your work.
Bo1972, so many bold claims but very little or no substance at all in your posts. Peter is 100% correct regarding room and placement and anyone with minimal experience knows this.

Your description of silver wire and their intrinsic coloration doesn't make them superior, just colored. What are you comparing them to anyway? Some unknown Transparent cable in another system?

Absolute sound, Total sound, black levels, 3d electronics, Audyssey, etc., this is amateur hour and have nothing to do with natural reproduction of recorded music. You're certainly entitled to your opinions and preferences but you're setting yourself up stating this nonsense with such arrogance. Not everyone is going to be as gracious as Peter in pointing out the lack of substance in your posts.
I have written many things about sound realism. What you describe as natural, I use the word sound realism. I love Pass labs for this part. It let you hear the exact sound of an instrument.

Presence is what I describe as to point out. But silver makes voices more round. There is more space around voices and instruments. This sets the presence ( Germans call it Dahrstellung) to a much higher level.

3 weeks ago I visited a client with MIT interconnects ( copper) I compared different silver Audioquest interconnects with his interconnects. The differences are huge. We are not taking about subtile differences.

This week he phoned me and he will buy the Audioquest cables.

Presence goes to a much higher level caused by the extra air around them by using silver. All different parts of the recording are standing fully loose from eachother. They become more round as I describe. The extra decay compared to only copper is also very easy to hear

One of my best friends had a concertroom were he gave classical concerts. Here I learned how small and direct voices and instruments are. I call it intimate sound. But also the sound of a violin and Steinway wing.

In natural sound I am just as demanding as in intimate sound. Compare a Steinway wing recoding with copper against silver. You will hear the difference in timing, decay and also presence. There is a lot more information be heard with the silver interconnects.

I will ask the person who does Transparent, to take some cables with him when he visits my home.

Silver colored? This is bullshit. Copper can easiliy colour as well. Who is an amature overhere? You are talking nonsense. It is not based on facts.

I owned the XP-20 for over 2 years of time. Weakest point is sharpness in individual focus. I had discussions about this issue with Desmond of Pass Labs. As we had discussions about using wrong properties of some brands in cables.

I am very curious about the .8 series. Presence and a much smaller individual focus should be one of the biggest improvements.

I Always use cables to make individual focus more realistic and giving it the right proportion.

Sound is about what you hear. I can let all people hear much more information of voices than most other do. They become more apparent. And ther is more information in articulation of voices.

I hate any coloration or missing a realistic individual focus of instruments and voices.

I only use powercables from Purist Audio. I prefer interconnects and loudspeakercable from Audioquest. But the combination of them both give me a stunning endresult.

It is a pitty you can't hear my system. But believe me with my pro measurement and my pre amp I am a big step further than what you can achieve with the XP-20. I had many discussions about this with Pass labs by email.

The advantages are in the articulation of voices. But also in timing and drive. A much better separation of instruments and voices. What I said before; even 2nd and 3th voices are more easy to be heard. With the xp-20 they are there somewhere. With my pre amp and pro measurement they come alive. This is a much higher level of presence.

I even can let people hear the edge of a voice. I did not achieve this with the XP-20.

Audio is Always about getting closer to the real thing.