Refined simplicity or stubbornness worthy of a better deed?

Loudspeaker technology has evolved over a hundred years. Already at the very beginning of its history, it was found that the processing of the entire acoustic spectrum, with satisfactorily low distortion, by one speaker (transducer) is very difficult, if not impossible. It turned out that it was necessary to design loudspeakers consisting of transducers specialized in processing certain sub-bands.

Development has gone in this direction, and with it 99% of loudspeaker manufacturers, creating an immeasurable wealth of two-way, three-way, four-way and even more multi-way systems, sometimes overcomplicated, exaggerated, over-developed - or invented. it seems to the amateurs they publish that the more “roads” the better prepared perhaps ... for such minded clients. However, rational solutions prevail, in which the number of paths and the number of transducers (not the same - there can be more than one transducer in each path, which is often the case in the LF section) are proportional to the size of the structure and its intended use.

Minimum Bidromic

The minimum is considered an almost obvious minimum bilateral system, usually consisting of a midwoofer and a tweeter. Such a system, based on high-quality converters of both types, is capable of operating in almost the entire frequency range. However, it is more difficult to achieve very high volume levels with it, because the mid-woofer, which is necessarily of a moderate diameter (to be able to handle mid frequencies), even if it can handle bass, it cannot absorb very high power in this range, it cannot reproduce bass at the same time so deep and loud. As we all know, the lowest frequencies and high power are the lot of larger speakers, which, however, can no longer work as midwoofers, but only as woofers, both because of their too large diameter, and because of other features, making them more cumbersome. more suitable for processing low, rather than medium frequencies; as a result, three-band systems are created, where the mid frequencies are processed by a special converter - the midrange.

One-time "optimum"

Davis MV One - they are like one, there are no more speakers here.

The rules of the game that allow you to create high-end loudspeakers are not rigid, but the general rules are, as it were, established and used by the vast majority of designers - of course, only for success, and not according to some recipes. But just as there are those who like to exaggerate with "permeability" and complicate over-arrangements, there are those who stubbornly strive for simplicity, striving for the implementation highest ideal - single-way and single-converter loudspeakers. So with one single speaker.

Of course, we are familiar with popular, mostly small, computer or portable devices that do not have the space or budget to install a two-way speaker system. So we stop working with a single driver (in each stereo channel, as long as the device is stereo), usually tiny, a few centimeters long, which doesn't meet even the very old standards for hi-fi equipment, but it's not equipment. that claims this name.

Much more interesting are the one-way designs, which, in the opinion of their designers and, in the opinion of many of their users, simply have to be better than multi-pass systems, and appear in elite target, at prices of several tens of thousands of zł.

In this controversial issue, we will try to be objective. True, the statistics themselves show that multi-band systems are much more valued by intelligent designers around the world, but let's stand up for the "one-sided ideal." At least in order to remind lovers of very complex designs that multipath is not an end in itself, but a sad necessity and the choice of the lesser of evils. The situation would be much happier if it were possible to process the entire band through one loudspeaker, as division of the band into subbands, i.e. introduction of electrostatic precipitators (crossover), distortion. The emission of different frequency bands by loudspeakers located next to each other, but not on the same axis (with the exception of coaxial systems, which have other disadvantages ...) causes additional problems. However, it is recognized that with high quality requirements, this is less of a problem than would be doomed to use a single driver. It's always good to remember that it doesn't make sense to multiply them unnecessarily - you must keep "patency" within reason and needs of structures with specific tasks and target parameters.

It is impossible to create a perfect full-range driver, and even a decent one (compared to the capabilities of speakers)

it requires great passion, skill and the use of the best materials. The 20 DE 8 full range loudspeaker (used in the MV One) includes, among other things, an expensive Alnico magnet system.

In fact, the ideal would be one perfect loudspeaker that eliminates all the problems caused by multipath. Unfortunately, such a loudspeaker, or even "almost" such a loudspeaker, despite constant efforts, does not exist. All, even the best full-range speakers have a narrower bandwidth than most loudspeakers, and their performance exhibits much more unevenness. This, however, does not discourage some people, because either self-hypnosis or the real properties of higher-quality full-range transducers allow them to perceive something different in their sound, something special, and therefore, according to fans of such a solution, something better. Moreover, some features of single-sided circuits attract the attention of owners of tube amplifiers - i.e. usually low-power amplifiers, which therefore do not require loudspeakers of high power, but with high efficiency. The fact is that if the loudspeaker is not required to have high power, then due to the design features associated with it (for example, a small light voice coil), it is easier for it to achieve not only high efficiency, but also a wider bandwidth. .

Make up your mind

A very interesting and advanced full-range loudspeaker was developed by the French company Davis and used in the MV One loudspeakers. Their test, in a group of three French designs (the other two are three-band), traditionally detailing the design, sound and lab measurements, was published in the June (6/2015) issue of Audio. You can compare and form your own opinion ... An interesting thing, even without a tube amplifier.