more drivers equate to better sound?

[STARSCREAM]

Backstory is that I had the Polk audio VM30's which had lots of different drivers and I loved the imaging to them. Now I recently have the Polk audio Rti a5's and just don't like the sound right now. The imaging is less and I'm just not getting any dynamics it seems. Got me wondering if it's because they have far less drivers than the VM30's and if this is necessarily the case all the time? I had always heard that the bigger the speaker the more air and room it had to move and give off bigger soundstage but thus far that is not the case for me.

EDIT: I think I've fixed some of it now. The imaging still isn't as sharp as the VM30's were. On my new Onkyo 608 I just got I had Audyssey dynamic eq turned on which greatly enhances the surrounds volume and this was causing the surrounds to drown out the fronts. After also turning on Audyssey dynamic volume the rti a5's have come alive and the csi a6 center is very clear on dialogue. Much better. I went back and forth messing with all settings on the receiver and the most dynamic setting for sure was having dynamic eq on along with dynamic volume turned on and set to low.

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by STARSCREAM

Backstory is that I had the Polk audio VM30's which had lots of different drivers and I loved the imaging to them. Now I recently have the Polk audio Rti a5's and just don't like the sound right now. The imaging is less and I'm just not getting any dynamics it seems. Got me wondering if it's because they have far less drivers than the VM30's and if this is necessarily the case all the time? I had always heard that the bigger the speaker the more air and room it had to move and give off bigger soundstage but thus far that is not the case for me.

There is no direct relationship between the number of drivers and the quality of the sound. There are other important factors. Sometimes, more drivers require a more complex crossover network and crossovers are the weakest link in speakers. Cabinet design, quality of drivers, people's taste, calibration, and room acoustics also play an important role. It may take a while for you to get used to the sound of your new speakers. It is not unusual for human beigns to not let go of the former girlfriend and begin to accept the new girlfriend.

These are some examples of speakers with less drivers that are actually higher-end speakers:


PSB Image T6:

PSB Imagine T (Better Speakers):

Polk TSi500:

Polk LSi25 (Better Speakers):

Polk RTA-15TL Vintage Speakers:

Big Daddy DIY speakers with a single full-range driver and no crossover (Better Speakers than the vintage Polk):

[crazyBLUE]

Just had to throw yours in on the end there

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by crazyBLUE

Just had to throw yours in on the end there

I was looking for a single driver speaker versus multi-driver speaker and all I had to do was go to my living room.

[crazyBLUE]

Originally Posted by Big Daddy

I was looking for a single driver speaker versus multi-driver speaker and all I had to do was go to my living room.

Priceless !! I'm Going to bed ~ Night .

[tbizzle]

Originally Posted by crazyBLUE

Priceless !! I'm Going to bed ~ Night .

His house is a museum of Audio bliss, after all

[Canada]

The Boston A 100 my parents had for ever and a day have two drivers a woofer and a tweeter and they sound great

My B&W 683's have 5 drivers


the 800's have 4 drivers and the 800's will mop the floor over the 683


So in closing number of drivers means absolutely squat.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Simple yet effective!

Totem Sttaf.jpg

John

[STARSCREAM]

Thanks guys. By the way, I think I've fixed some of it now. The imaging still isn't as sharp as the VM30's were. On my new Onkyo 608 I just got I had Audyssey dynamic eq turned on which greatly enhances the surrounds volume and this was causing the surrounds to drown out the fronts. After also turning on Audyssey dynamic volume the rti a5's have come alive and the csi a6 center is very clear on dialogue. Much better. I went back and forth messing with all settings on the receiver and the most dynamic setting for sure was having dynamic eq on along with dynamic volume turned on and set to low.

[rayray8]

polk tsi500's are high end speakers??? lol

[crazyBLUE]

Originally Posted by rayray8

polk tsi500's are high end speakers??? lol

I think you would be amazed at how good the TSi series speakers sound when properly amplified

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by rayray8

polk tsi500's are high end speakers??? lol

What speakers do you have?

John

[rayray8]

i had a set of tsi400's on an emotiva upa-2 and they didnt impress me one bit after i listened to some "higher end" stuff. needless to say i ditched the polks and emotiva. i have focal speakers and a cambridge integrated now.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by rayray8

i had a set of tsi400's on an emotiva upa-2 and they didnt impress me one bit after i listened to some "higher end" stuff. needless to say i ditched the polks and emotiva. i have focal speakers and a cambridge integrated now.

Focal/JM Labs are great speakers indeed. In fact, I considered a pair before I decided on the Totem Acoustic Sttaf's.

John

[rayray8]

out of all the speakers i've heard over the past year, i am a fan of focals, usher, and totems. i was really impressed with the totems for their size.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by rayray8

out of all the speakers i've heard over the past year, i am a fan of focals, usher, and totems. i was really impressed with the totems for their size.

Never auditioned the Ushers before so I don't know what their sound signature is like, but I thought the JM/Focals and Totems were very close. I listened to some Sonus Faber many moons ago and remember liking them as well.

John

[Big Daddy]

Originally Posted by rayray8

polk tsi500's are high end speakers??? lol

I believe it helps to read the posts more carefuly. You misunderstood my post #2 completely. I was comparing two set of speakers from the same manufacturer to demonstrate that the speakers with less drivers were actually better and considered to be higher end in their product line. For example, Polk LSi25 are considered to be better than TSi500 and not that TSi500 are high-end speakers.

[rayray8]

ya i guess i misunderstood. an easy comparison to make is to compare a good 2 way bookshelf speaker such as a focal 807v vs. a polk audio tsi tower. night and day difference to me.

[Johnny Vinyl]

Originally Posted by rayray8

ya i guess i misunderstood. an easy comparison to make is to compare a good 2 way bookshelf speaker such as a focal 807v vs. a polk audio tsi tower. night and day difference to me.

I have Totems (as you know) and am very happy with them. At the same time I don't go around making fun of or diminishing the choices of others, nor do I promote my choice of speaker.. I have many friends here who own Polks and other speakers and they are happy with them. That is all that matters.

Enjoy your JM/Focal Lab speakers, but don't diminish other manufacturers or peoples choices.

John

[callas01]

Originally Posted by John72953

I have Totems (as you know) and am very happy with them. At the same time I don't go around making fun of or diminishing the choices of others, nor do I promote my choice of speaker.. I have many friends here who own Polks and other speakers and they are happy with them. That is all that matters.

Enjoy your JM/Focal Lab speakers, but don't diminish other manufacturers or peoples choices.

John

john i don't think that is what he was saying. I think he was simply saying that a single driver unit can out perform multi-driver units. for example, my energys have a single driver and the TSi400 has 3, yet I still get better mid-range detail and bass response in comparison. I don't think he was trying to trash talk the Polks in that last post.... however its sometimes hard to determine what someones typing is actually saying or how its coming across.