Not if you also restrict the 2-way to the same size midbass.
My 2-ways handily outdo the FRs, XO at 250 hz. Trade offs / compromise is adding the woofers increases driver costs by a factor of 6, passive XO parts cost more than the midTweeters, & at least 2 more sheets of ply not to mention 2 guys to lift them
They have serious DDR and even the big 20k multiWays at the shop won’t throw the kind of image/soundstage, something important to me. But take the woofers away and use the same midTweeter in a very low diffraction trapezoidal miniOnken and that improves even more (little box is harder to build), but you give up bass, dynamics, & potential levels.
As said earlier “pick your poison”
dave
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To address your original post and questions, you have a pair of Spendor Classic 3/1, which are nice looking speakers with good reviews, but you're after something with better treble response. We don't have the information on listening room etc, so it's difficult to recommend a particular design or kit.
At the risk of labouring the point, if this is to be your first DIY speaker, you want it to sound 'better' than the Spendors and you want to design it yourself, the chances of success are low. You will have fun, learn stuff etc but may well be disappointed in the result and wonder where the $$$ went. You will wonder 'why all the fuss about DIY?'
As you live there, have you checked out the speakers at Rhythm Audio Design in Canada? High end projects by noted designers which punch well above their weight. I built the Slapshots, one of those projects and they're marvellous.
Geoff
At the risk of labouring the point, if this is to be your first DIY speaker, you want it to sound 'better' than the Spendors and you want to design it yourself, the chances of success are low. You will have fun, learn stuff etc but may well be disappointed in the result and wonder where the $$$ went. You will wonder 'why all the fuss about DIY?'
As you live there, have you checked out the speakers at Rhythm Audio Design in Canada? High end projects by noted designers which punch well above their weight. I built the Slapshots, one of those projects and they're marvellous.
Geoff
Well, I'm not suggesting that you should restrict the 2-way to same size midbass driver that you would use with a one-way. There is no reason to do so. There are plenty of very good 5" and 6" midwoofers to use in that role.
And cost is not really an issue. The total cost for the kit for the pair of Piccolos from Meniscus Audio including having them build the crossovers, and shipping, was about $450. A real bargain in my opinion.
As far as sound stage is concerned I have already posted that what I have with the Piccolos is an outstanding sound stage. Interestingly enough that got destroyed when I moved an equipment cabinet onto the front wall and between the speakers. The sound stage became very large and difussed. It also lost all of its depth and individual instrument focus. It was suddenly as though the entire orchestra was on a large sheet of thin wall paper. After a while I moved the equipment cabinet back to its original positon on a side wall, and viola', the amazing sound stage with great depth reappeared.
Finally, as I said before, I don't agree that you have to 'pick you poison'. I really can't identify any faults or compromises with my set up, with the possible exception of a somewhat limited amount of bass. However, that can be easily improved on if I decide to implement a subwoofer. So far, however, I haven't felt a strong need to do so.
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Lots of good 5-7” FR too. The woofers used in the above are close to FR and used by some as such. So in a sense all the drivers in the above WAWs, missing an octave at the top or the bottom
I can put Alpair 10.3eN in FHXL & get 25k-20k with only limited max vol as the signicant compromise (louder than anyone I know listens)
You have to compare actual speakers not generalize as much as you seem to be.
dave
PS; ref an earlier sub thread: DMLs operate in chaos over their entire bandwidth
Thanx, I’ll have a closer look when I get home. My previous impression of Rival drivers would not have been something I would look further into, but now…
dave
If I may add another criterion, the OP must audition the HF sound signature of the tweeter or full-range driver (which may have a whizzer and is between one-way and two-way, hehe). Because they all sound very different and can dominate the listening experience. In other words, choose HF transducer first, then compatibly support it below.
Yeah, I agree. And that is the main reason I'm so big on the Piccolo speakers. They use an SB Acoustics SB29RDNC tweeter which is completly flat to 20 Khz and has a smooth undistorted sound. Very clear and pleasant.
This same tweeter is use in some other higher end commercial products as well.
I can't imagine any one-way driver matching its performance at the high end.
Yes, choosing one's poison to get to nirvana, or as you say making compromises.
I just compared the notched vs straight-through 5.5" drum-paper fullrange on bass drum & triangle "solos" (Karajan's New World Symphony and Moldau) and here's my report.
This my favorite whizzer-less fullrange driver has a signicant peak at 5-5.5khz that does not go away listening off-axis. It generates an impression of incredible micro-dynamic realism (reminds me of Axiom 80), lively articulation that makes other drivers sound lame. Bass drum and triangle indeed sound Audiophile (cap A), everything excitingly "sharp": close-mic'ed, up-front, clearer, higher pitched, more precise, greater thrust. With the simple notch filter (0.3mH | 2.7uF) right on 5.4khz the sound is... more Purist: natural, balanced, connected, organic, not etched or edgy, has depth, draws me into the music. That's what the 5khz peak does--besides making brass way too loud I had to turn down the volume.
Now that I (will) have a spare set, I'll try “plast" (automotive stretchy tape) on the back of the drum paper. It worked wonders for my harder-than-steel fiberglass honeycomb and resin-coated carbon fiber cones.