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In the Forum: Playback Listening
In the Thread: How many channels does an acoustic system need?
Post Subject: More loaded questions...Posted by rowuk on: 3/10/2019
A “casual” look at full range usually results in 3 or 4 way playback for standard dynamic drivers or horns. There are a handful of “full range” commercial efforts from Edgar, Wilson, JBL, etc that are doing similar things with the range of each channel.
I think that it is wrong to assume that any company optimizes acoustical problems with multi driver systems. They could, but they do not. Most of the “highest end” systems that I have heard had very disconnected first and last octaves. Turning off the super tweeter and subwoofer often improves the playback dramatically.
I heard a very convincing 2-way not too long ago. A Quad ELS 63 with a VERY well integrated sealed box LF (<80 Hz). There were certainly warts in the playback, but far less than most 4 and 5 way systems that I have heard. Granted, we did not play Tschaikovsky 4 at concert level, but Dietrich Fischer Dieskau and Gerald Moore with the “Schöne Müllerin” series worked very well at “live” row 5 levels.
So, I guess from my perspective, I would say that it depends. With bandpass devices like horns, we have different constraints than with other architectures. I would very much like to figure out some type of acoustic sump for the dipole electrostats that really soaked up the back plane. Then a 2 or 3 way could be very attractive.Rerurn to Romy the Cat's Site