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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.
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tobor007's avatar
tobor007
59 posts
 
Many good points. All tech stuff aside, I had a pair of jbl 250ti's for many years. They were a 4 way speaker with 14" woofers. I sold they recently and bought a pair of Revel Salon 2's with 3, 8" woofers.The Revels are  better speakers in every way except dynamics and base impact which is not a small feature. If you like the live sound of rock, the jbl's were hard to beat. Also, with the sensitivity the jbl's they played very well at low volumes. I did miss the bass impact of the jbl's, so I added a JL sub. I do love my current system, but the was cost was crazy. I may have been able to make a better choice in speakers, got the best of both worlds and kept my cost down (perhaps Legacy). But higher end speaker comparison is difficult because of the limited distribution.     
twoleftears's avatar
twoleftears
1,457 posts
 

It's not just a question of whether a 7" driver can produce 20Hz, it's surely a question of at what level.

BTW, 3 x 7" = approximate surface area of 1 x 12" driver.

tweak1
870 posts
 
I am fortunate to have extensive experience with both, but every ~ multi ~ 4" driver speakers I’ve ever heard needed subs. However, I had a 7ft pair with ~ 8 x 6.5s which went plenty deep

I currently own Emerald Physics KCIIs which has a 10" concentric driver plus 2 regular drivers, but their 2.8 series has 2 @ 15" carbon fiber speakers, one being concentric ~ $9K a pair. I hope to have a pair one day soon
rpeluso
521 posts
 
bdp24, you and I see many things the same way, maybe because of our being drummers (well, I was, no longer, but my son is, I have the Gretsch 135 set here for him to use when he visits).  Real music, live music, has a weight to it that may speakers do not impart.  I have three stereo systems in the house, and my Vandersteen 5A setup can do the weight very well; system 2, Unifield 3 Mk2, are better for imaging and pinpoint placement; my new third setup, JBL L100 Classic-based, so far seems to be able to do the weight things well.  Must be the big woofers.  

I remember, years ago, at a Steve Earle show at the TLA on South Street in Philly, the music/sound/bass/volume made the pants on my legs move.  I liked it too.
audiokinesis
1,872 posts
 

mzkmxcz wrote: "Soundstage is the off-axis of the speaker."

Well, I have a somewhat different opinion:

A wider radiation pattern results in early sidewall reflections which increase the apparent image width. This is usually judged to be a pleasing effect (according to Toole), but it is not without its downsides.

First, early reflections are more likely to impose colorations and/or degrade clarity.

Second, early reflections tell the ear/brain system that you’re in a small room, and this can constrain soundstage depth and the sense of being immersed in the acoustic space of the recording.

Spectrally-correct late reflections are generally beneficial, enhancing timbre and a sense of immersion without degrading clarity or imposing colorations.

A fairly narrow but well-controlled (i.e. uniform over most of the spectrum) radiation pattern can result in more precise imaging and a deeper soundstage along with better clarity by minimizing early reflections, and if you want a wider soundstage too, move ’em a bit further apart.

Duke

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