There are lots of explanations as to which is better -- a speaker with 2 drivers, 3 (or more).
As with any engineering question, the answer is ultimately determined by what you're after. There is an old example from World War II. The Mitsubishi Zero fighter was faster and more maneuverable than the early Allied aircraft. After one was shot down, they discovered why. There was no armour plating in the cockpit to protect the pilot from bullets. Less weight meant tighter turns and faster speeds, but with the pilot more susceptible to injury. Take your pick.
One of the biggest problems in speaker design is the transition between drivers. No matter how steep the crossover curve, both drivers will overlap, giving two source points that will interfere and reinforce each other, depending on the exact frequency.
Crossover points also often occur in the midrange where the ear has its greatest sensitivity and voice and the vast majority of instruments have their fundamental notes.
The more drivers, the more crossover points you have. That's the reason many people like 2-ways and still others are fond of single driver systems. The midrange is very important to them and they think that design type sounds better.
Other people value the strong points of a 3 way (or more) design -- deeper low end, more volume, better power handling and so on. You like your JBLs (which have a very distinct sound to many) so you may not be one of those who values an alternate design.
As far as the audition option, that's not really Audiogon's choice. Individuals selling their used gear are likely not interested in offering "dealer" services. They are selling their gear because they either no longer use it or want to move to something different. The last thing they want is to get something back from an indecisive buyer after they've played with it for a month or two.
As with any engineering question, the answer is ultimately determined by what you're after. There is an old example from World War II. The Mitsubishi Zero fighter was faster and more maneuverable than the early Allied aircraft. After one was shot down, they discovered why. There was no armour plating in the cockpit to protect the pilot from bullets. Less weight meant tighter turns and faster speeds, but with the pilot more susceptible to injury. Take your pick.
One of the biggest problems in speaker design is the transition between drivers. No matter how steep the crossover curve, both drivers will overlap, giving two source points that will interfere and reinforce each other, depending on the exact frequency.
Crossover points also often occur in the midrange where the ear has its greatest sensitivity and voice and the vast majority of instruments have their fundamental notes.
The more drivers, the more crossover points you have. That's the reason many people like 2-ways and still others are fond of single driver systems. The midrange is very important to them and they think that design type sounds better.
Other people value the strong points of a 3 way (or more) design -- deeper low end, more volume, better power handling and so on. You like your JBLs (which have a very distinct sound to many) so you may not be one of those who values an alternate design.
As far as the audition option, that's not really Audiogon's choice. Individuals selling their used gear are likely not interested in offering "dealer" services. They are selling their gear because they either no longer use it or want to move to something different. The last thing they want is to get something back from an indecisive buyer after they've played with it for a month or two.