I have been trying to gain some understanding into 2 Way vs. 3 Way Speakers. I have read lots of information that talk about the technical difference, and that makes sense. What is hard to find is insight into the differences/advantages in the actual sound.
For those of you that have experience with both, are there notable distinctions in the sound performance between two way and three way speakers?
I’ve found I prefer less going on with drivers and crossovers. 2 way speakers tend to be easier for me to relax and just experience where a 3 way may make me work a touch harder to make sense of what’s going on.
Oh, and 6.5" is my max midrange/woofer size. 8" mids are asking too much of the driver to cover the mids, much like 5.5" mid/woofers ask too much of them to cover the upper bass.
Yes, these are very much generalizations and many designers have done great work mitigating these issues. That is why the adage to ‘get out and listen to the speakers you are interested in’ is so apt.
I do reserve the right to change my mind at a later date, and to bounce back and forth on this issue as well. ;)
I have a history in killing 2 way bookshelf speakers even with a highpass set at 80 Hz and additional subwoofers. Now I’m using a 3 way setup (2x 10" + coaxial Horn) + 2 dual 18" Subwoofers.
What SPLs are you hitting?
The tinnitus in my ears right now tell me to give the standard PSA, mind your exuberance with the volume knob or pay the price. Can you tell I did not in my youth? ;)