2-way vs 3-way: Which is more SQ?

[Deton Nation]

2 or 3 way front.
Sound quality is subjective, what is your preference for obtaining what you believe to be the best quality sound. And why!
Thanks!

[James Bang]

Please elaborate on "more SQ" and/or "better sound"

Also, 2/3way front or system?

[tspence73]

I would argue that a 3-way has more potential customization options for different tastes. And since I believe that SQ is really a personal opinion on how you like your sound, then 3-way has got to be the choice as it's more versatile.

[captainobvious]

3 ways gets youz mad dee beez and da hunnys like it toos

[James Bang]

Originally Posted by tspence73

I would argue that a 3-way has more potential customization options for different tastes. And since I believe that SQ is really a personal opinion on how you like your sound, then 3-way has got to be the choice as it's more versatile.

So true. I like my sound to have a bloated low end while sounding very unrealistic layered with major time alignment to give it a nice echo effect.

[Thumper26]

three way has more potential, since you have more options to reproduce the 20-20...i.e. you can cross over speakers that don't play ranges as optimally as one of the others, etc. also, speakers are more dedicated to frequency ranges. you don't have a mid trying to play 40Hz and 4000Hz at the same time like you see in a 2 way, so there's less chance for breakup.

however, it's a lot more complicated, and you have that many more phase issues, etc to fix.

[falkenbd]

Why stop at 3-way, when you could have 3.5 way, 4 way, 4.5 way or maybe even 5 way or 5.5 way

The sky is the limit

[Thumper26]

Originally Posted by tspence73

And since I believe that SQ is really a personal opinion on how you like your sound

i think that's a flawed statement. sound quality, or the quality of the sound, is how accurately does the stereo reproduce the music. if you record a live orchestra and play it back, how much does it sound like you're actually there? saying that SQ is a personal opinion on how you like it takes away any standard measurement of what it is. you can have your preferences on how you like things, for example i'm picky about midrange frequencies, and prefer them to be a touch warmer. i had to tune against my preferences all last season to make it sound more accurate. it being warmer made it less accurate, therefore a lower quality.

if you want something that sounds good to you, go for it. you have to listen to it after all.

if you want sq, go for that, but don't say your goal is sq but that sounds good to me.

maybe sq oriented is the best technical way of saying what most people here are after, b/c honestly, a lot of music just sounds better when you bump the eq in different areas.

[chad]

It has to depend on your ability to get it into the vehicle CORRECTLY, if you have a challenging install environment then often times a 2 way will outperform a 3 way with speakers pointed in every willy-nilly way imaginable. Without proper install and aiming NO time alignment will help.

[tspence73]

Originally Posted by James Bang

So true. I like my sound to have a bloated low end while sounding very unrealistic layered with major time alignment to give it a nice echo effect.

So whatcho tryin' ta say? And you should talk with your big 'ol 10" midbass and 7" mid.

[pionkej]

I plan to currently run a 3-way front setup, with l-r rear fill, and a single sub. The benefit as mentioned earlier, is my drivers up front won't have to cover as large of a frequency range so they CAN be clearer. The downside is that I have much more to get right: aiming, phase, level matching, crossover points, t/a.

Luckily I have a processor that can help me do all of this, and I have crossover options between 12&24db(JL amps) and 36&72(Sony 4000x) db slopes.

[James Bang]

Originally Posted by tspence73

So whatcho tryin' ta say? And you should talk with your big 'ol 10" midbass and 7" mid.

Oh shit, i just got tspence'd. tspence saw through the internet and found out how/where I have my speakers mounted and how they're aimed.

Dang. How do you do it.

[DonovanM]

Originally Posted by James Bang

Oh shit, i just got tspence'd. tspence saw through the internet and found out how/where I have my speakers mounted and how they're aimed.

Dang. How do you do it.

I KNOW WHERE THEY ARE THE 10'S ARE IN YOUR DOORS!!!!!!

[Deton Nation]

LOL Hes psychic

[tspence73]

Originally Posted by James Bang

Oh shit, i just got tspence'd.

Yep. And don't you forget it. tspence hath spokem.

How do you do it?

It's mah secret powers.

[89grand]

I can't vote because that's not a cut and dry question. There is no correct answer.

It's like saying which is more "SQ", a 10 or 12" sub.

[gijoe]

Originally Posted by 89grand

I can't vote because that's not a cut and dry question. There is no correct answer.

It's like saying which is more "SQ", a 10 or 12" sub.

I'd agree with this statement. There are a lot of variables and each setup has it's own advantages and disadvantages.

[captainobvious]

I would think the answer is that the fewest number of drivers you can use to get an accurate reproduction is the way to go. Many times using drivers with narrow frequency ranges, or inability to play the extended ranges accurately forces you to use additional or different drivers to compensate. If you have a midbass/midrange that does not extend very high, you either have to use a tweeter to play very low, a midrange to fill the gap, or a different midrange/fullrange driver to handle the remaining frequency range.

Your installation, driver location, driver aiming, vehicle acoustics, etc will play a role in answering that question as well.

Can you get great sound with either setup? Absolutely. In one installation a 2 way setup may sound superior to a 3 way, while using the same drivers in a different installation may be the opposite.

[FoxPro5]

Originally Posted by Deton Nation

Sound quality is subjective

How can something subjective be quantified? I can measure the FR, noise, distortion, etc...all of which directly contribute to the exact nature of the sound. How can things that are absolute and measurable be subjective at the same time???

Here's a better question (to me, anyway): how much of a point source clusterfuck of sound can you personally tolerate? There's an absolute quality to mine, I'll tell you that. Fact is, it's all in my head.

[bafukie]

watever happen to a 1 way full range speaker?

[drtool]

My first system 1 way up graded stock

2nd; 2 way with kicks.

3rd system I put together 3 way with 2 pair of tweets, it worked, I can't explain. One set of tweets on x another set 45 off and pointed up.

4th systen 4 way, Pink floyd come on down.

[Z3Sooner]

Sound Quality is not subjective. The job of a stereo system is to accurately reproduce sound. The more accurate it is, the better it's sound quality.

People may LIKE different things when it comes to sound reproduction, but that doesn't change the above statement.

As for the original question, the only proper answer is, "it depends". Each system has it's strengths and weaknesses and therefore it's own application. It's like asking which roofing material is better, standing seam metal or EPDM. Well, on a sloped roof that you can see standing seam is better because it's more attractive and lasts longer. However, on a flat roof (those roofs with slope less than 1" per ft.) EPDM is better because you typically can't see it and standing seam will leak on a flat roof.

[driveshaft]

have done a 2-way and now running 3-way, I'll never go back to 2-way again.

[chad]

Originally Posted by driveshaft

have done a 2-way and now running 3-way, I'll never go back to 2-way again.

Because that's why.........

Why? That's why.........

[Vigarisa]

I believe the choice depends on the environment and the subwoofer you're using as well.

If you can use a 2-way with a 5-inches midrange and tweeter in front of you, why not? But the car need to be appropriate for that.

There was a car from my friend that used the Seas Dual Concentric for front stage, and 12 6-inches woofers in a pull-pull configuration, F-3 19Hz.

It's all about the project.

I believe the best drivers to use in a car are the 5's or 6's and tweeters. Most midranges sounds like little horns to me in the car. They have their advantages, but still...