Difference Between 2-Way & 3-Way Component Speaker Systems?

[bones justice]

i own a pair of 2-way 6" components. they give me low mids and hi frequencies. my question is what is the difference between a 2-way and 3-way component system and which is better to use?

[helotaxi]

The 3-way has an extra pair of speakers. Typically there is a midrange and a midbass in addition to the tweet in a 3-way set.

As far as which is better, it depends. With a 3-way you have to find a place to mount the extra drivers. You have a more complex crossover situation. A good 2-way will sound just as good as a mediocre 3-way and is much easier to deal with.

[Tonyguy]

I agree. Listen to this guy, he knows his ****. To add to his comment, a properly installed 3-way will sound awesome, but it takes some work.

[Hoodlum007]

3 ways have an extra mid, i have usually seen them in 3.5" or 4". If you have the room for the extra mid they will sound better. i wish i had the room to run 3 ways.

[MiniVanMan]

A 3-way adds a midrange to cover the frequency range that is most affected by off-axis alignment, speaker separation in the vocal range, and non-optimal crossovers due to misalignment of speakers that would cause a deterioration of the critical midrange frequencies (Those that are ears are most sensitive to).

That being said, a 3-way is no picnic. By committing to a 3-way, you're committing to a stellar install.

A properly designed and installed 3-way will almost always trump a compatible 2-way. However, a 2-way does have it's advantages.

They are easier to work with, and easier to install. With tuning, and a bit of know-how you can fix a lot of the inherent problems that come with running a 2-way in a car.

I run a 2-way in my car, and my wife is getting a 3-way installed as we speak.

When I install mine, I treat my doors (deaden and seal), and properly aim the tweeter. With my wife's 3-way I have to do all of the above, and also build a set of kick panels for the midrange, and install and align the tweeter properly.

If you've never built kickpanels, it's quite an adventure.

[///M5]

If you run a passive three way in pseudo stock locations with no extra installation (ie deadening/baffle etc.) you really wasted money going with the 3 way. A well installed 2 way would suit you better. Of course this is classic, it is all an installation game anyway. Installing a 3 way is no trivial task.