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Is Speaker design evolution stagnant

Based on what I read from speaker manufacturers, many use the same drivers but apply different crossover philosophies to achieve a particular sound.

My simplistic understanding is that while limiting the range of high or low signals , the remaining signal is corrupted ( phase inversions, roll off, etc.. ).

With today’s technology, why aren’t more speaker manufacturers using active crossovers to be connected after the preamp and sending exact spectrum signals separately to be amplified to each driver.  That would Eliminate all electronics inside the speaker cabinet except the drivers. Each driver gets fed only the signal that it works best at. No out of phase, half phase, quarter phase issues, no phase angle issues. 100% of the power goes to each driver without limiters to scale it back.  I think Bryston Model T Actives is designed this way ( don’t work for them and not pushing any product). Am I looking at it too simply? Do electronic crossover play havoc on signals the way inductors and capacitors do?

Some speaker manufacturers have gone half way with built in woofer amps ( Vaughn?)

Of course you would need a 3 channel amp for each side ( based on W/M/T config) or some variable of mono amps, whatever.



jacksky
trelja
3,215 posts
 
Loudspeaker design evolution most certainly stagnated.

Precious little has moved forward since Y2K.  We've seen some improvement in drivers, but mostly in cabinetry, as that is where the talents of today's builders lie.  Most of the reason is the designers who either understood the art and science or possessed the intellect toward that have left us.  Look to the designs of the previous two generations, you find radically more innovation, and the work of these folks still shines
lukaske
72 posts
 
Trelja,

look at: ilumnia.be , and you see somethings new. Last year The World-première in Eindhoven,The Netherlands. Made in Belgium. Such a sound,you never heard it before. I never heard such a open, full of detail, holographic speaker. And look to the design! Lukas

viridian's avatar
viridian
4,184 posts
 
If you effectuate the crossovers in an active speaker in the digital domain you can elimate the phase shift, ringing and asymmetry of analog crossovers, as well as temporally adjusting for the different path lengths of the various drivers. If it’s your cup ‘o tea you can also effectuate dsp room correction at the same time and there are many speakers on the market which do this.

Seems to be the best answer to me. The only thing that holds me back is that my primary sources are made of vinyl and shellac and the old dog in me recoils from digitizing an analog signal. Just foolishness on my part.
bache's avatar
bache
222 posts
 
@kosst_amojan   absolute no necessary spend huge amount the money
  if you use 3 way electronic crossover. You can use 2 amps for bass
and midbass   non expensive class D or class AB , but for mids and high absolutely necessary use high end amps, and basically is much more
less money because you need  the high end amps much more less
power then use one high end amp  for all 3 drivers ,like convention
3 way speakers with passive crossover design. Actually you can use
2  big power class D and one low power SAT tube amp.  But is very
hard and almost impossible made right balance .  You have to use measuring microphone and computer program like RTA


jacksky OP
21 posts
 
it Seems to me that the flexibility and cost saving to use class D amps for the woofer and AB amps for mid/tweeter is another positive reason speaker manufacturers should be evolving toward targeted amplification of drivers.
so I guess the point Bache makes that once you do this you have to strike the righ balance - that is the weak link in the chain, or the hard part to achieve
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