Full range driver vs woofer

Lol, i understand his story he admitted they evolved into a three way. I appreciate the story because i have walked that same path many of times. I have started with a great driver and realized, hey i need more ting and add a tweeter. I need more oomph and add a sub so then I'm left in the same with the same result,a great 3 way system.

Ok let's say i accept the fact that a single driver is physically incapable of twenty to twenty with the volume needed. I would like to open the floor up to the debate of coaxial or separate components. Just to see what everyone thinks... I personally think the sync is much better with all frequencies originating from the same axis. Hmmm
 
Lol, i understand his story he admitted they evolved into a three way. I appreciate the story because i have walked that same path many of times. I have started with a great driver and realized, hey i need more ting and add a tweeter. I need more oomph and add a sub so then I'm left in the same with the same result,a great 3 way system.

Ok let's say i accept the fact that a single driver is physically incapable of twenty to twenty with the volume needed. I would like to open the floor up to the debate of coaxial or separate components. Just to see what everyone thinks... I personally think the sync is much better with all frequencies originating from the same axis. Hmmm
Try listening to some Tannoy's
 
I am trying to decifer the secret behind a full range driver. It seems to me that there is to much in a 2, 3 especially 4 way enclosure. Why is it so hard and rare for a single driver to create a prefect balance with today's tech without all that crossover wizardry...

A very good book on this is High Performance Loudspeakers from Martin Colloms. Here's the short version: Woofers can't tweet and tweeters can't woof.

What in the construction, special traits our design create the full spectrum? Is there really actually a full range driver? Something that achieves 20Hz-20kHz?...What's your opinion and mechanics of it all...

Headphones have full range drivers and many claim 20Hz-20kHz, but that's obviously not what you're after. It does offer a clue however. Headphone drivers, microphone diaphragms, turntable styli, and lots of other things are able to move back and forth in the 20Hz-20kHz range. The trouble is getting them to do it and make a loud enough noise for us to hear. 20Hz-20kHz is easy, compared to a single driver that can produce linear sound from, say, 35dB-110dB.

Other interesting tidbits... I am really refirring to the construction of the speakers though. The differences in them physically and mechanically...It appears to me as if it just a little game of give and take. Fine tuning the driver. But, now that leads me to why is larger worse for highs. I understand that bigger is better for lows do to their enormous wave pattern. Do those dilute or even cancel high frequencies? Hmm...

A big heavy cone suitable for low frequencies probably CAN be made to vibrate at 20kHz. The first difficulty would be having a motor assembly powerful enough to accelerate its mass, stop it, and accelerate it the other direction 40000 times per second. It would be impractically huge. Oh - and the cone material itself must be able to withstand these forces. The trade-offs begin by making the cone smaller and lighter, but then you lose structural integrity and the cone starts to flex in random and unpredictable ways instead of acting like an ideal piston. If it becomes too light and weak, it won't do low frequency very well either.

There's lots more trade-offs but after considering these, you might question what's the value of a single full-range driver in the first place. Is it just a lofty ideal? Is perhaps 80Hz-12kHz "full-range" enough?
 
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Headphones have full range drivers and many claim 20Hz-20kHz, but that's obviously not what you're after. It does offer a clue however. Headphone drivers, microphone diaphragms, turntable styli, and lots of other things are able to move back and forth in the 20Hz-20kHz range. The trouble is getting them to do it and make a loud enough noise for us to hear. 20Hz-20Khz is easy, compared to a single driver that can produce linear sound from, say, 35dB-110dB.
It's that damnedable volume of air in the listening space that screws everything up.

Air is funny stuff. At higher frequencies it absorbs/damps acoustic energy well while in another frequency range it's a rather good transmitter or conductor of acoustic energy. Change the density, via temperature or humidity of the air and it's acoustic characteristics change. Unfortunately, or fortunately, whichever is your point of view, our range of hearing bridges these two frequency "zones" and helps make the loudspeaker category of our hobby very broad and interesting.
 
A big heavy cone suitable for low frequencies probably CAN be made to vibrate at 20kHz. The first difficulty would be having a motor assembly powerful enough to accelerate its mass, stop it, and accelerate it the other direction 40000 times per second. It would be impractically huge.

And with such a motor the cone would probably still be overdamped and unable to make deep bass--what you'd have in effect would be a giant Lowther.
 
These open baffle Betsy's are examples of the F.A.S.T. ( Full range AssiSTed ) approach. The full range speakers run unabated powered by their own amp while the bottom frequencies are handled by woofers powered by a separate amp. If the baffles are large enough the Betsy's can get by without bass augmentation due their very high Qts.

PB230002.jpg
 
Ok so i have been very busy at the studio along with the multitude of personal stuff. i am adding this to here and probably will put a new post thread soon. I want and will design a totally new driver. Full range unlike any other, hopefully. But until then...

Here are my questions...

With all of the technology if yesterday and today, what is the characteristics of a great speaker to you? What does the speaker of your dreams entail? What would make you want a speaker. In lame mans terms:

What is today's market lacking that i could manufacture to fill the void our target a high demand?

I understand cost and performance are major factors. What is a respectable price you would pay for a high quality pair of speakers? Previously manufactured examples are welcomed.

Also, what configurations are the most popular? 2.0 stereo? 2.1 stereo? 5.1 surround? I honestly think a great left and right is all that is ever needed.

All input is greatly appreciated...
 
What is today's market lacking that i could manufacture to fill the void our target a high demand?

High performance speakers that appeal to women.

Designs that look good and not necessarily like a speaker, but something that can look good on a coffee table, sideboard, kitchen counter, breakfast nook, back porch, book shelf, hanging on the wall, or whatever.

Something that will sound good all by itself, but automatically link up to a second or third or a bunch of other ones. Have them play "mono" by default, but have them assignable if the user wants to position them for stereo or home theater.
 
Would love to see more affordable high efficiency full range drivers designed for back loaded horns. This kit from Madisound is designed for an 8 inch Fostex driver but I'm considering it for my Lowther DX3's. Folks who love the full range single driver speakers most often power them with flea watt tube amps which warrants drivers 93db and above. The higher the better but the only 4.5 inch speaker that fits that bill that I'm aware of is the Fostex Fe126En. FRSD purist do not want corrective circuits or filters in the signal path between tube amp and driver and that's why BL horns are fairly popular. Plus the folded horn maze ending in a terminus can offer enhanced bass over other designs.

d60eff03e22da7a361781ef4797c8423--speaker-kits-speakers.jpg
 
How about these as conversation pieces in your home? Would fulfill one's need for art and sound. They're C-horns using 100+ db Lowthers.

CHorn.jpg
 
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