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single driver speakers

Someone please help me out here...

I am struggling to understand how a single driver system can sound anywhere near as good as a multiple-driver system with crossovers...

I understand that crossovers and multiple drivers can have issues with interference, phase, etc - but those drawbacks would seem to be vastly outweighed by the increased frequency response and clarity within a frequency spectrum that a multi-driver system produces.

I see these

https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis8ij2i-voxativ-ampeggio-due-70-off-priced-to-move-full-range

and just can not wrap my mind around how they could sound better than a multi-driver system costing 1/10 as much. (no knock intended on the seller of these speakers, I was just browsing listings and saw them so it made me wonder)

Thanks!
babyseaotter99
jmolsberg's avatar
jmolsberg
467 posts
 
gotta have yourself a listen. I used to pick them apart, couple songs later, their magic simply takes over. a quality set amp and high efficiency speakers are very rewarding. I ditched the multi drivers (;
seanheis1
594 posts
 
key is they need tubes. Solid state amps don't normally control their woofers properly and it can be a real mess. 
bache's avatar
bache
503 posts
 
kalali's avatar
kalali
1,977 posts
 
This article from Nelson Pass is a must read for those interested in this subject. 
It addresses many of considerations around matching amplifiers with the single driver speakers.
http://www.firstwatt.com/pdf/art_cs_amps.pdf
larryi
3,721 posts
 

I like full-range drivers, but, I particularly like them as extended range drivers in multi-driver systems.  The Jensen/ERPI M-10 field-coil driver with a tweeter, as an example, makes quite an extraordinary system.  I also heard a two-way system using the Japanese GIP-4165 field-coil driver (Western Electric clone) and that was killer good too. 

As for true full range, single driver systems, the best I've heard is probably the Charney with the Voxativ driver.  It delivered the speed and immediacy of single driver systems without sounding harsh, nasal and peaked in the upper midrange and treble range; the primary shortcoming was a lack of high frequency extension.  Voxative also makes a very good sounding full range system using its own drivers.  A friend utilized a field-coil Feastrix driver in a nice custom system, but, it really needed something to boost the bass response.

While I do like the immediacy and liveliness of the Western Electric/Altec 755 driver, it is WAY too colored and tinny for my taste in a single driver system.  Its much rarer cousin, the 756 is a better driver, and it too, still needs a tweeter.  The addition of a tweeter, even when the full-range driver is being run full-range (not being attenuated by the crossover), somehow smooths out the response and makes it less harsh and ragged sounding. 

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