Crossover-less Speakers

Active speakers do not have crossovers in the traditional sense (where up to half the energy is absorbed in a passive filtering circuit and with all kinds of associated phase issues). Add active speakers to your list to audition and you may be surprised.

I'm currently using a pair of single driver crossoverless speakers built by Larry Moore of UltraFi Audio. They are a simple bass reflex enclosure and use the Hemp Acoustics FR8.0DIY driver. For reference, here is a link to a review of my actual speakers (I bought the review pair):

http://www.hempacoustics.com/Review.pdf

I really like these speakers in my small-med room and with my choice of music. I do not have any need or desire to suppliment the bass with a subwoofer. I don't notice any frequency anomolies and the high frequency response seems well extended and as crisp as it should be.

My setup is fairly near-field with the plane of the speaker being about 6 feet from my listening position. In this setup vocals are distinctly front and center, leaning toward forward. Imaging is spooky good with the soundstage spread well outside the edges of the speakers.

Overall, I'm very happy with these speakers, especially considering their modest price.

My most recent speaker before these were Reference 3A MM DeCapos. I've also owned Tyler Audio Taylo Reference Monitors, a pair of Italian made monitors from MTD, a pair of Triangle Titus XS and various assorted mid prices speakers.

With my current amp and CD player, these speakers produce the best sound I've heard in my system.

However, I will caution you that all single driver speakers are not magical. At least not to me. I've heard or owned severl other moderately priced single driver speakers and I could not live with many of them. Some were shouty, some had inadequate bass extension and some just sounded like an old am transistor radio! I would suggest listening before buying, or only buy something that has a huge following that can be quickly re-sold if you don't like them.

Enjoy,

TIC

The Lens by 47 Laboratory.
One of the finest speakers I have ever listened to.

Well if transparency, attack, along with warmer less pinched harmonics are real rules in audio, than that is what you can gain going with a GOOD crossoverless speaker systems, but not all even if they claim this can do it in the real world...

I owned Dynaudio, Jm labs, and klipsch, along with some Custom 7 ft line arrays before my current speakers which are crossoverless.

The top of the Highs, and the bottom of the lows are always an issue when going into any single driver Full range crossoverless speaker. Mostly these designs are best known for fast, articulate, full midband and voicing, kinda how Cardas Cables, and Tubes get their reputations.

A few ways to correct frequency extension of these designs at the top and bottom is of course to either horn load them, or come up with some specialized boxes to more standard vented, or sealed cabinets to still get resonable response out of them, or build around the FRD with very fast subwoofers and/or supertweeter systems to integrate and extend the sound further.

Bottom line is that you can find some FRD Crossoverless systems that will blow your doors off and you will not go back, or some that are pretty normal just like most dynamic drive tiered crossover systems (3 way, 2 way, etc..) And this finally comes down to money, yes the best ones will cost quite a bit more money, but the used market has some pretty cool designs that don't cost a fortune to get your feet wet, such as the Zu Druid, or the Omega speaker lines, but if you want no holds barred than they will cost substantially more money...

A new one that I know is coming out soon is the Zu Audio Presence at 6 k a pair if that helps you out. In theory that should approch 90 or 95% of the best Crossoverless speakers can offer, however it is augmented by dual 10" woofers on an Active crossover amplifier, and a supertweeter for the super airy extended highs.

I have had many, many speakers about a year & a half ago a buddy of mine put his custom built Moth Cicadas up for sale & I bought them. They are a single driver crossover-less speaker based on the Moth Cicada.

I really like the speakers, they remind me most of my Martin Logan CLS-IIZ LE's. I have had numerous Klipsch, B&W, Kef, MTL, Maggies ect, ect. They are fast, open, dynamic, transparent with good bass and nice highs. They don't go super low or high but like I said they do a nice job.

They are not for everyone but check them out, it's a different road to get to the same place.