2-ways that are close to 3-ways


I primairily use my 2-ways for 2ch listening, which are Meadowlark Swallows or Buggtussel Circas. I do have a pair of Klipsch Chorus II's for 3-ways, so I don't need a pair of 3-ways.

What I'm wondering is, is there a 2-way that is close to a 3-way while not being as big? I would like to have 3-way (fuller across the frequency) sound while having something in the size of a 2-way footprint.

A little about my system:
- EAD CDP
- Audio Mirror/TRL modified DAC
- Tube Technology Tube Preamp
- Promitheus Transformer Buffer between preamp and amp
- Amps rotate between: 12w SET, 12w PP, 65w chip, 130w ICE-based

Room is 15W X 20L X 8H

I'm really happy with everything, I just feel like my current 2-ways are my limitation when I use my 2-ways. For those asking the question of why don't I just use my 3-ways, it's because they're hard to move at 90+lbs and I don't to move them eveytime I want to listen. I have thought about just building platforms with casters in the future.
vman71

Showing 1 response by jax2

Your limiting factor, as you probably know, is that SET amp which requires very sensitive speakers. I'm a big fan of SET + Horn sound, so naturally I'd push for your Klipsch combo there. Other than that, with the SET limitation, I liked the concentric driver Galante speakers which are no longer made, but available here once in a while. The Rhapsody, Symphony and Buckingham are the three models. The smaller Rhapsody may not get you as much fullness as the other two, unfortunately larger models. I don't know, that you are going to get that kind of "fullness" without volume of enclosure and size of driver (or number of drivers displacing air). Good question though. There are certainly a few sensitive monitor speakers like Reference 3a, but they will be limited by their size. There's all kinds of exotic single-driver solutions, but in my experience none of those gives you the fullness of a 3-way floorstander. They do other things really well, but fullness and low-end extension are not among them.