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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.
Ag insider logo xs@2xquanghuy147
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

dealer/manufacturer


inna
5,245 posts
 
Even if size isn't everything, without certain minimal size there is nothing. One 8" woofer with good amp in an acoustically correct mid size room can accomplish a lot, but if you really need to go down clear full and loud - no. I like as few drivers as possible, but that's another subject.
kosst_amojan
2,095 posts
 
I'm not sure the bending force on a small cone caused by the surrounded is actually a thing. Smallers cones are vastly stiffer than large ones and the resonance of the surround is so far out of the pass band of a woofer as to make no difference. What's more, several small drivers in a column behave as a line source simulating a woofer that is tall as the array in it's directionality. 

I think the bottom line boils down to the size of the space you need to fill and the listening distance. For small and medium sized rooms, several smaller drivers in a more narrow enclosure will yield better imaging just because narrow speakers do that better. If you can get further away from the speakers and reduce their angular size from your listening position, then larger drivers might be the ticket. 
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