Can a single driver system like a Lowther DX-3

I am using Lowther EX3 in Voigt Pipes. I am running a 2 watt 45 amp. My room is 14'x24' with 16 foot vaulted ceiling. Also I have an open floorplan with little boundary area. I can fill the room quite well, and it sounds wonderful. However with this type of system, the bass response is limited to above 40Hz, and does not have the "slam" like many SS amp/multi-driver systems have. But is has many aspects that far exceed SS amp/multi-driver systems, too. It depends upon your needs. I rarely turn my system full-up. It is quite loud well before that. With a 15 watt Cary, you should be easily able to achieve 108db-109db peaks(at 1 meter) without compression, and still have 3db of dynamic headroom left in your amp.

Your amp will have enough power to push the DX3 to its maximum volume levels without compression, which is about 108-109db/1 meter very easily. You can go above that, but there will be compression of dynamics by the limitations of the single 8" drivers. If that is enough for you, then you will be satisfied, as long as the limited bottom end and lack of "slam" doesn't bother you. There is a little bit of "slam", but not what big power systems will give you. The clarity, detail, and coherence is worth it. IMO.

Twl-

I have been following your threads all over the internet regarding your experience with Lowther drivers and never expected you to answer this one. You have done alot to educate people on this technology.

There is a Lowther system currently for sale on Audiogon in a Tyler Audio Cabinet. I know the cabinet makes as much difference as the driver itself. Do you have any experience with Tyler cabinet design? Thanks.

Bennett, I just checked that ad and they are sold. I don't know if you bought them or not. But I can tell you that those Tyler cabinets appear to be a bass-reflex design, and that is not the ideal enclosure design for the Lowther. However, they will work. The drivers pictured in that ad werre the older series Lowther DX3, and those are good, but not nearly as good as the new series, which have made some important changes in the design, to eliminate the characteristic upper midrange peak called "Lowther Shout". This is a certain area of the frequency response in which the whizzer cone and larger cone resonate together and cause higher output at this frequency, which is in the upper female vocal range. It tends to sound very forward in this area, and some people find it disturbing. The new series of Lowther drivers have a rolled-edge on the whizzer cone and a type of de-coupling of the whizzer to eliminate this effect. Also the outer suspension ring is changed to improve the smoothness of the transition of the sound waves to the cabinet face(baffle). All the new Lowthers have this, and that is why you should get the new series. And I would recommend a more "Lowther suited" cabinet design. The claim that those Tyler cabinets go to 30Hz is unrealistic, given that Lowthers have an impedance spike up to 50 ohms at the resonant frequency of about 35Hz, and it is unlikely that any amp will be able to overcome that. So the realistic bottom end on Lowthers will be about 40Hz.

If you did get these Tylers, they will work but they will not be the best. However, they can be used to "get your feet wet" and until you can try some more proper cabinets later. Let me know if you did buy these, because I can turn you on to some tweaks that will help the "shout" on these older drivers.

twl -

I did not but the Tylers. Can you suggest a reasonably priced cabinet maker. I have looked at many diagrams available on the internet but I'm not sure I can do this myself. Getting the bigger guys to do it is cost prohibitive.