Full range speakers have higher performance than multi way? And I guess 5W single ended direct heated triodes are the ultimate in amplification too????
GT,
What you don't seem to realize is that your single "full range" speaker is in actuality a multi-way speaker.
The voice coil inductance and mass of the speaker cone limit the high frequency response. Directivity is governed by the diameter of the cone. A cone large enough to produce any reasonable bass output will severely beam into a narrow angle at high frequencies.
In order to overcome these high frequency difficulties the voice coil must be rather small in order to lower its inductance. This tends to limit its power handling and excursion - i.e. limited low frequency performance. Even more significant are the mass and directivity issues. In order to produce high frequencies with a reasonably wide directivity, what you really need a small diameter, light weight speaker cone - i.e. a tweeter. The way you achieve this with a full range speaker is to design the cone such that the entire surface radiates a low frequencies, but only the center portion radiates at high frequencies. This is a very complicated balance of cone shape, stiffness, damping, etc. This is in effect a mechanical
crossover. But, of course, this is a much less ideal crossover than what can be achieved electrically. You simply can't manipulate these mechanical parameters with the ease, flexibility, and predictability of an LRC circuit. Furthermore, the cone properties are subject to significant internal resonances as well as long term physical degradation. Purpose built woofers and tweeters fair much better in this regard.
Finally, the numbers are the ultimate proof. Compare the specs of the best single driver speakers (Jordan, Lowther) with those of the best multi driver systems and there's little doubt. Multi driver speakers have far better frequency response, impulse response, harmonic distortion, intermodulation distortion, etc., etc. You might
like the sound of your "full range" speakers, but they certainly aren't as
accurate as good multi driver systems.
Thomas
http://barefootsound.com