Small drivers vs big drivers


Hi,
I have a question that is always in my mind recently. I see some speakers with small  drivers (5-9 inches) that is reviewed to be able to throw out big sound stage and go down to 18hz-20hz. Some other speakers with big drivers (10-15 inches) though are commented to have 'big sound stage' but can only go as low as 30-35hz. 

To make the situation more complicated, some speakers have small drivers but there are many of them. Can many small drivers be compensate for the size limitation?

I don't know which specs determine a wide sound stage and the ability to reach low frequencies.  What is the pros and cons of each design?

Thank you!

Huy.
Ag insider logo xs@2xquanghuy147
The lower bass response of a speaker is so incredibly fungible. Room gain and placement matter a great deal, so best not to read too much into the spec itself.
I will say that good room acoustics can make a speaker sound bigger, deeper, and tighter. A good 2-way speaker in such a room can be very satisfying.

I own 2-ways with 6.5" speakers. They sound great, but they'll never have the deepest bass, and dynamic range of 15" woofers. for my apartment lifestyle, that's kind of irrelevant though.

Line arrays may make up for the displacement, but their real benefits come from imaging, wide sweet spots, and reduced room interactions which yield better clarity and imaging.
Specs can't tell you much . speakers with great specs may sound awfull and vice versa.
It really depands on your system ,room size, acoustic treatment, placement of the speakers acct. . The only test is your ears go and listen till you find the correct speakers for your taste. 

The ability to create a wide/big soundstage and the ability to reproduce low frequencies are two completely different matters (except that the sound of a large recording venue---cathedrals, churches, theaters---are of very, very low frequencies).

The size of the drivers in a loudspeaker, assuming you are talking about cone/dynamic drivers, has nothing to do with the speakers ability to create a wide/big soundstage. The size of a woofer, on the other hand, is very much related to how much air it can move at low frequencies. But size isn't everything, right girls? ;-)

Bass frequencies are generally omnidirectional and most driver’s don’t have a problem with bass dispersion.

Differences in soundstage between speakers is mostly something that happens in the upper midrange and highs, so this is mostly about the tweeter implementation (as well as how the crossover is structured with the midrange or woofer).
Large drivers with large diameter voice coils will push much more air and stay cooler and consequently remain incredibly dynamic and effortless at concert volume levels. Minimal distortion.

A small woofer with a small diameter voice coil pushes very little air and heats up very fast - they always sound dull and strained at realistic volumes. Lots of distortion.

Small Diameter = 6” with 1” voice coil
Large Diameter = 15” with 3”+ voice coil