Powered speakers show audiophiles are confused

@thespeakerdude on a side note can you please explain or send me to an article explaining why WMTMW drivers on speakers work at all concerning phasing? Especially the midrange drivers being 1 foot apart is seems to be silly. I'm sure it's something I'm simply not seeing I know many very expensive speakers use this system I just don't know why. Thanks. BTW I've never seen one of these speaker at a high end studio. I think after these Genelecs continue to cause big changes in speaker design you won't see WMTMW designs anymore.

@donavabdear didn't we go over this already :-)

MTM of WMTMW are meant to be listened to on-axis at tweeter height or whatever the tweeter height is based on the total speaker angle. At that height, there will be no phasing issues (assuming I know what you mean). The sound from the two mids-woofers at all frequencies will get to the listener at the same time. The crossover is designed as such that those frequencies all arrive at that same time. This has an advantage over a flat-front MT where the ideal response is not perpendicular to the face but typically tilted down. That can be fixed by tilting the speaker up, setting the tweeter back, or electronically. It can also be fixed with a coaxial driver. I think that is the real advantage of a coaxial driver, consistent dispersion.

The problem with MTM is the vertical directivity is narrow making the listening height more critical. I have not given a lot of though, but the wide spaced woofers in a WMTMW should provide some line source effect and reduce the floor/ceiling mode which is good as those are usually the least treated.

I personally am not a big fan of MTM, and they really are not in favor. We know enough that they do not make much sense any more. Audio Science Review probably inadvertently has given Genelec a lot of press in the consumer market. They have released a great product obviously, but that does not mean other great products not as visibile with similar design goals don't exist. As they are now going after the consumer market, it may influence that segment of the market more than anywhere. The WMTMW is an "audiophile" thing. It does not have to make sense.

@thespeakerdude You did educate me previously, and it is brilliant saying "as an audiophile thing it doesn't have to make sense". I know microphones and when there is poor off axis coloration the on axis doesn't sound as good because you are listening to the entire polar pattern off axis and all. Having your head in a vice is cool but no fun some of the most meaningful moments in sound are when you can share your emotional journey with your wife or someone like that who has let you spend so much money on this emotional hobby. MTM off axis doesn't work and the stereo image has at least 4 drivers trying to make you hear a 2 foot to 2 inch wave there is no way to get really good imaging with a non point source speaker, I feel like I'm really missing something still, the advantages are few and the disadvantages are huge, same goes with line array speakers. The blending of waves from midrange line array speakers is by definition a phase problem. Sometimes I feel like there is so much BS in the audiophile world.

@donavabdear

I feel like there is so much BS in the audiophile world.

To me the king of BS are measurements. I can understand BS in marketing, it is supposed to be pitched that way. Nobody ever says we are the second best company in audio. But publishing SINAD below the level of human hearing and then giving it a trophy? THAT is some BS. Then you have the variables, how was it measured and where and with what and by who. Then because you actually measured something now you gift wrap it in science which means BS is wrapped in more BS.
The BS meter was on tilt so badly AES had to draft new standards to replace the old BS:

I don’t expect AES-75 to have much or really any impact or influence on the audiophile community. It would be inaccurate to say it is targeted at the professional market only, but that will be one area where it will be used. It will also be a useful tool for professional users, i.e. engineers working on vehicle sound systems to provide a more useful and consistent measurement of how loud a system will go. It will no doubt show up in data sheets for some consumer products, and suppliers of test equipment will add it to their test suite but for the average consumer it will go unnoticed.

On measurements in general, given that many audiophiles don’t trust the science currently, including, importantly, what the limits are of the audibility of distortion, than measuring or rewarding performance below or far below scientifically validated limits is not unwarranted.