How many 6.5in driver equals one 8in driver

andy2

The Math tells us 2.5 is the answer. I would up the ante to (4) 6.5 inch drivers equaling a single 8" driver. When designed and properly enclosed, an 8 inch driver/woofer can sound outstanding!  Same goes for running (2) 8-inch driver/woofers in series.

Happy Listening!

@jonwolfpell 

"The smaller driver has to move faster & further than the big driver to produce low notes at higher volumes"

please clarify, I get 'long throw' to move more air, or move it more forcefully, but wouldn't faster be higher frequencies?

The Math tells us 2.5 is the answer. I would up the ante to (4) 6.5 inch drivers equaling a single 8" driver. When designed and properly enclosed, an 8 inch driver/woofer can sound outstanding!  Same goes for running (2) 8-inch driver/woofers in series.

How did you come up with (4) 6.5in. drivers equal an 8in. driver?  On what basis?

By faster I mean that a smaller woofer inherently must move further to move the equivalent amount of air that a larger one does so to keep up with the signal & remain tight & clean, it must accelerate & decelerate more quickly. This extended range of motion & required speeds necessarily creates more potential distortion all other things being equal. Paul Klipsch was noted saying that that the more motion in a driver, the more distortion. 

By faster I mean that a smaller woofer inherently must move further to move the equivalent amount of air that a larger one does so to keep up with the signal & remain tight & clean

But if you have multiple smaller drivers that equal one large driver, the distance moved is the same for both.