>I am fairly new here and would imagine that this debate has taken place previously. Sorry if I don't have time to scroll back through all the speaker topics but can a 2- way spkr really provide the definition of a 3-way? If the bass/ mid driver is 6" or 7", how can it handle the upper mids?
With increasing directivity approaching the cross-over point which puts progressively less energy into the first reflections. This does not contrast well with the near hemi-spherical radiation of an acoustically small dome tweeter which puts an abundance of energy into those reflections in the 2-4 KHz range following the cross-over with the contrast perceived as harshness.
That directivity mismatch makes it physically impossible to build a 2-way with most dome tweeters on flat baffles that has both natural sounding polar response and any semblance of bass that plays cleanly at reasonable output levels.
You can kludge around the problem with a dip in around the cross-over point (as in the BBC dip), although the perceptual effects will vary depending on room + placement and you're better off building a three way.
Even a 6" midrange has an appreciable directivity increase by the typical 2-3 KHz cross-over point.
>I am assuming that the front port does more than just relieve internal pressure and it actually provides additional bass sound, leaving the bass/ mid driver a little less congested.
It gives you another 1/3 octave of extension without compromising box size or efficiency, although signals below the pass-band will have more severe intermodulation distortion effects (excursion becomes what it would be with no box until you pass the driver's high pass poles) compared to a sealed box (excursion doubling for a given signal input level with each octave lower between the two high-pass poles and constant below the lower frequency pole) and in extreme cases can run the driver out to its mechanical limits at which point permanent damage may occur.
>What about bi-amping with a 2-way compared with a 3-way?
If you can afford to bi-amp a 2-way you can afford a well-engineered 3-way.
With increasing directivity approaching the cross-over point which puts progressively less energy into the first reflections. This does not contrast well with the near hemi-spherical radiation of an acoustically small dome tweeter which puts an abundance of energy into those reflections in the 2-4 KHz range following the cross-over with the contrast perceived as harshness.
That directivity mismatch makes it physically impossible to build a 2-way with most dome tweeters on flat baffles that has both natural sounding polar response and any semblance of bass that plays cleanly at reasonable output levels.
You can kludge around the problem with a dip in around the cross-over point (as in the BBC dip), although the perceptual effects will vary depending on room + placement and you're better off building a three way.
Even a 6" midrange has an appreciable directivity increase by the typical 2-3 KHz cross-over point.
>I am assuming that the front port does more than just relieve internal pressure and it actually provides additional bass sound, leaving the bass/ mid driver a little less congested.
It gives you another 1/3 octave of extension without compromising box size or efficiency, although signals below the pass-band will have more severe intermodulation distortion effects (excursion becomes what it would be with no box until you pass the driver's high pass poles) compared to a sealed box (excursion doubling for a given signal input level with each octave lower between the two high-pass poles and constant below the lower frequency pole) and in extreme cases can run the driver out to its mechanical limits at which point permanent damage may occur.
>What about bi-amping with a 2-way compared with a 3-way?
If you can afford to bi-amp a 2-way you can afford a well-engineered 3-way.