3way vs 2way

[T3mpest 10+ year member]

IMO 3 way passive is useless , I have never heard one worth a chit. The crossovers are usually a step up from crap at best, and pre-packaged drivers are bought cutting every corner known to man. To me if you are going to run some out of the box component set you really, really shouldn't run a 3 way. It takes a level of knowledge, tuning, and experience to make a three way sound right and if you have to ask about the installation it probably isn't the best choice for you. Stick with a 2 way and if you are unsatisfied with the output or quality, switch over to active crossovers and handpick drivers that will do what you actually need.

ever heard any of the upper end 3 ways. Morel, dyn,rainbow, etc?

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

and most SQ cars are 3 ways too!

But there have been plenty of 2-way cars that have won aswell...beating out some well setup 3-ways //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif Which I guess was moreso my point...that properly setup either can sound excellent and flat-out "pwning" won't really occur.

4.Reduces doppler distortion (if it matters)

Last I'd heard, Doppler distortion only really exists in the realm of theory, not audibility. I personally haven't seen any recent evidence to support otherwise at least......

 

[seth350 10+ year member]

Wow, thanks for all the help guys. Everyone has been real informative //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[3.5Max6spd 10+ year member]

A 3way allows you to use your door location for dedicated midbass, crossing lower into a region that draws less localization cues. You want your midrange and tweets as far forward as possible , and close together if possible. Minimizing pathlength differences will yield better staging and imaging, a more coherent stereo presentation.

And I will say this...

A 3way in this fashion will ALWAYS yield better EVERYTHING, than a 2way where the wideband driver is mounted on a door, behind a door panel. Doors are a poor location(staging/imagingwise) for a driver playing a wide range for many reasons-short pathlengths , resonance (colors the midrange and midbass, drawing localization), off axis interference by the door panel....

If staging is not your emphasis, you will find 3way will get louder with less strain on a particular driver as well.

A 2way is just simpler to tune actively, and is a less complex setup.

 

[seth350 10+ year member]

Makes sense, thanks //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[Hebrew Hammer 10+ year member]

what ever bs you guys are saying about 2ways is junk..most of all the best IASCA comp cars were two ways...it basically comes down to install..that's it...less point sources...less axis point/angles, and greater flexiblity in placement..I'd take a two way anyday over a 3way with door mounted anything....

so any nay sayers want to argue..my car will be open at SVR...2way with a "5" and tweeter..480watts to each driver with the 5 playing from 40hz and up...and actually I can get 20hz out of them...but that's pushing it

 

[Hebrew Hammer 10+ year member]

IMO 3 way passive is useless , I have never heard one worth a chit. The crossovers are usually a step up from crap at best, and pre-packaged drivers are bought cutting every corner known to man. To me if you are going to run some out of the box component set you really, really shouldn't run a 3 way. It takes a level of knowledge, tuning, and experience to make a three way sound right and if you have to ask about the installation it probably isn't the best choice for you. Stick with a 2 way and if you are unsatisfied with the output or quality, switch over to active crossovers and handpick drivers that will do what you actually need.

agreed..infact passives anything...if your real serious passives are completly useless...to many bad things that a car's interior has that a passive network cannot and will not compensate for

 

[alphakenny1 10+ year member]

what ever bs you guys are saying about 2ways is junk..most of all the best IASCA comp cars were two ways...it basically comes down to install..that's it...less point sources...less axis point/angles, and greater flexiblity in placement..I'd take a two way anyday over a 3way with door mounted anything....
so any nay sayers want to argue..my car will be open at SVR...2way with a "5" and tweeter..480watts to each driver with the 5 playing from 40hz and up...and actually I can get 20hz out of them...but that's pushing it

yep thats exactly what i stated before. thats probably the one advantage 2 way has over a 3 way. if you install the mids and tweets in kicks, then you are golden. door mounted anything sucks, even midbass drivers. but if using door mounted locations, then to me 3 way will win out easily.

 

[LoudCrownVic 5,000+ posts]

yep thats exactly what i stated before. thats probably the one advantage 2 way has over a 3 way. if you install the mids and tweets in kicks, then you are golden. door mounted anything sucks, even midbass drivers. but if using door mounted locations, then to me 3 way will win out easily.

Do door installs with independent enclosures make a difference? Like, having a seperate chamber apart form the door?

 

[Hebrew Hammer 10+ year member]

Do door installs with independent enclosures make a difference? Like, having a seperate chamber apart form the door?

door mounted nothing...but if you have to..then midbasses are ok...you can't address pld's with door mounted drivers...plus all tactile energy transfer is guaranteed with door mounted drivers...this always gives away speaker location...a two way using high end drivers...scan/seas/skaaning/accuton/etc...when installed properly will yeild just as good results than a three way....

 

[seth350 10+ year member]

Well, although all of you have made very good valid points about the two. I still think I will try 3way and if I cant get it to sound right then I can always sell it or trade it for a nice 2 way. I appreciate all the help everyone has given, its helped me out a lot. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif