two way v. three way speakers

It depends about the quality of the brand and crossovers. Magico is exeptional good also in crossovers. That is why they can make an exeptional good 2 way speaker. There are only a few on this planet who can achieve this. These days I am only interested in speakers who can give a wide and deep stage. All 2 dimensional speakers ( most are) you can dump in the ocean from my point of view.

Many 2 way miss the fullness in the mid freq. On the other hand many 3 way have a lack of playing fully loose from the speaker.

At the end there are only a few brands who make exeptional good quality what makes audio really special!

Bo - can you please list those "few brands"?

It depends about the price range.

Since 2007 my focus is only on 3 dimensional sound. I wanted to create a higher level also in the lower and mid price ranges.

What makes good highend special for prices which more people can afford. When you compare many brands with eachother you understand the differences.

In the world of highend I like the image and approach of Magico. The can give a wide and deep stage, but within the stage voices and instruments are small as in real.

I prefer them over speakers with Thiel&Partner units cause of a more intimate sound. And I do not like the sound of a contrabass with Thiel&Partner units either.

I love Monitor Audio. Because this is the only brand I know who also there cheapest speakers have good crossovers.

When you use amps which can give a deep and wide stage you will understand how much better Monitor Audio can build a wide and deep stage compared to there competitors.

But.....you still need an amp who can give you a wide and deep stage. Within this stage you need a touchable and intimate focus.

I only work with 3 brands of amps; Onkyo, Primare and Pass Labs. In there pricetag they can give me the best quality in endresult and 3 D stage.

With my way of roomcorrection I can get a stunning sound with Onkyo even with there cheap receivers like the 626. My way of roomcorrection and using Audyssey EQ and Volume make the overall sound a lot more musical than the normal sound Onkyo gives without it.

I can send my clients to any shop. When they demo B&W, Dynaudio, KEF, Focal, Dali etc I Always can create a much more 3D image. I send my clients to these shops so they understand how big the difference is between 2 and 3 dimensional sound.

They come back and often they laugh and say: but that is 2 dimensional. Because I teach people the difference between 2 and 3 dimensional sound in what it does to your emotion.

Beside the deep and wide stage I create, I also create a stunning touchabele and sharp intimate focus of all the instruments and voices togheter.

The brands I earlier mentioned ( which I sold most of them far over 8 years of time) I never can reach the same level as with Monitor Audio.

Why? Because I understand properties of each individual brand. Monitor Audio owns more qualities.

And now the fun thing comes. Even if another person in this business buys all the parts I use, they cannot reach the same level. Because the way I use it, is the key to the succes.

With cables I do the same. At the end all the parts which I create in any set is Always based on creating more emotion in every individual set.

I give you a few advantages of the PL-200 over the Magico S1.

Monitor Audio uses lighter and faster low freq units and also mid units compared to the S1. You can hear it in the low freq. You hear more layers in the lowest freq.

They both can give a stunning wide and deep stage. But... the ribbontweeter makes the stage in front of the speaker even bigger. The tweeter of the Magico cannot make his stage so big in front of the speaker. Also a ribbontweeter can give a more touchable image of instruments and voices.

When you understand all the properties your speaker owns you could be able to get them all out of the speaker.

Monitor Audio gives me more freedom and options to get a higher endresult. When I visit other shops who sell Monitor Audio. I have to laugh, often they use 2 dimensional amps. When I ask them if they know the properties of Monitor Audio and the amps they sell. They say: we don't know.

Then you never will understand what the f... you are doing!

Thank you Bo.

Hi Bo,
We know many (if not almost all) will not find the dream sound system in their life time. With a good luck, people find you and find the music they enjoy for their life. You are doing a very good thing for many people and the society.
There are too many businessmen rather than audio professionals in the audio industry. Those businessmen won't and can't deliver the beautiful music that makes you tear and moves your heart.

The hi-end audio is about musicality, 3D sound, clear sound images, huge sound stage, disappearing speakers, smoothness, transparency, natural and open sound, dynamic, fun to listen, no fatigue, sound with a soul, etc. Unless a sound system sounds like above, it is not an hi-end regardless of the cost.

I only make 2 way speaker because 2 way speaker sounds better. If the condition is ideal and same in the perfect situation (only in theory), 3 way speaker sounds better. In real world, 3 way speaker needs many compromises. And it will take forever to make perfect. Ex.) Finding a right Lotto number in 3 digit numbers is 10 times harder than in a 2 digit numbers. It took half of my life for only one 2 way speaker. I want a masterpiece in a 2 way speaker. Not 2 mediocre.

The woofers in 3 way speaker always makes whole speaker sound warmer and fuller. Some music like a clean and clear female voice are better without the low frequency. It's boring to hear always warm and full sound. They will move your feet and hands. Moving your heart will take something more than classic Rock (CR). "People who only like CR need to know they only like CR because their speaker can only do CR."

I like a satellite speaker system because low frequency is easy and cheap to get. A cheap powered sub-woofer is better than any 10 of 10inch woofers in huge floor standers for 20-40hz. When I need kicks, I'll turn on powered sub. When I don't want warm sound, the sub can be off with a remote. I now have sound choices for different music with the powered-sub. Also, those big woofers in floor stander take all the juice from amps, and none for the tweeter and mid-woofers. As a result, the sound is even warmer without clarity.

Everyone knows, the hi-end 2 channel music will not mix with a powered sub. Why? The mid and high frequencies in conventional speakers washed off with powerful sound from the powered subs. It's not subs' problem! It is speaker's problem. New speaker technology has solved this problem and available.

Properly designed 2 way speaker is better in the real world. I have not heard any 3 (or more) way speaker better than the best 2 ways. **I've heard many $150k sound systems for last 15 years.

Alex/Wavetouch