2- or 3-way and the "best" sub size for integration w. 6.5&q

[buggsson 0]

For a fixed budget, aught I go 2- or 3-way? I was thinking that by going 3-way rather than 2-way you might be able to get a better overall balance between the differnt areas of the bandwith? Or would I be better off, just going with as good a 2-way system that I can for the same money?

And for this front system (6,5" mid-basses), someone said that a 15" sub would be too large to integrate with just a pair of 6,5" mid-bass drivers. I have a WV Passat Variant (station wagon). I would have presumed that the integration was the key, rather than the size of the sub, I've seen that before, once, but I'd like some more opinions on the issue before I take a descision.

[///M5 2,833]

Either of the above can work fine. You really didn't give us any information to allow us to give you any help.

[KU40 173]

my 15 integrates very well with my front stage. It's really a lot more about crossover points and box alignments than the size.

Do you know where you'd put all the speakers if you went 3-way? Would you go active or passive in either case?

Either setup can sound better than the other. But a properly set up 3-way generally has more potential to sound better if the tuning is done correctly.

[buggsson 0]

my 15 integrates very well with my front stage. It's really a lot more about crossover points and box alignments than the size.

Do you know where you'd put all the speakers if you went 3-way? Would you go active or passive in either case?

Either setup can sound better than the other. But a properly set up 3-way generally has more potential to sound better if the tuning is done correctly.

Yes I know where I would put them, or at least where I would try to put them. I've forgot what you call that place, sail panel? The rectangular area on the front door that's close to where the A-pillar meets the dash? Depending on the size of course of the mid. I thought I would try to make some sort of console for the mid and tweeter. The midbass would go in the door. I cannot use the dash (wife............), and the A-pillar is used for airbags so I dont dare to mess with those.

I will go active, either way, no passive for me.

Yes, I also believe that a 3-way has greater potential, but why I asked the question, is that the 2-way systems that I have on my wish list is already almost all to expensive, so building on them to a 3-way is a NO NO, can't be done (afforded). That is why I thought that perhaps a 3-way for the same sum (hoping cost has anything to do with what you get) might be as good as the 2-way, or with this scenario, 2-way will beat the 3-way hands down?

And ///M5, I was vague on purpose, I was hoping for a general discussion on the issue of going for a 2- or 3-way with a fixed budget, if at all such a discussion would be of any use? And the sub issue, was thrown in, because I didn't know what to believe. But now I do.

I can be more specific wiht gear if that's what you meant? For 2-way systems that I fancy the most (for no good reason) is CDT HD-62 but with M6 instead, Hertz MLK 165, Radical Audio RA16RE and Seas Lotus (not the ref. series).

For 3-way I have not looked that much. I was when I was drooling at the Hertz website that I saw their ML500R and realized I had to put down my foot and say, STOP. That was when the idea struck me that maybe a 3-way might be possible to get as good or better than a 2-way for the same sum, just because it is a 3-way compared to the 2-way. There doesn't really seem to be a good spot in the doors to mount a mid-bass and tweeter if the tweeter is to be close to the mid-bass driver. The front lower corner is all there is. A 3-way might be better in that respect?

Regarding the subs, with the criteria I have for choosing candidates, I have found many moore 15" than 12" drivers. But I wanted to be shure that there was a good chance to successful integration with the front system.

What more info did I miss to give?

By the way, I'm driving a VW Passat Variant (2004)

[///M5 2,833]

Being vague doesn't help narrow any things down. You should just ask what you want with plenty of background and you will get responses.

Curious as to the budget. You are looking at rather expensive sets so potentially you can do a 3 way. Also, does the budget include the amplifiers and crossover/processor? Pretty easy once you want a 3 way to blow most of your budget on just electronics to get it done. Way more expensive than a 2 way considering you need extra amplifier channels and a more detailed processor, instead of just a headunit for the 2 way.

[buggsson 0]

Being vague doesn't help narrow any things down. You should just ask what you want with plenty of background and you will get responses.

Curious as to the budget. You are looking at rather expensive sets so potentially you can do a 3 way. Also, does the budget include the amplifiers and crossover/processor? Pretty easy once you want a 3 way to blow most of your budget on just electronics to get it done. Way more expensive than a 2 way considering you need extra amplifier channels and a more detailed processor, instead of just a headunit for the 2 way.

Yes ///M5, I'm a slow learner, I should have realized by now that your suggestion for approach is the way, because now when I think of it, I've had similar results/responses earlier as well.

Yes, my budget is all inclusive. However, the budget is difficult to nail down in specific sums, because I live in one of the more expensive cities in the world, 31th rank in 2008 and now when the currencies are fluctuating quite a bit, and I don't know if I will by domestic or from abroad, it's hard to say. I have though up a comparative budget so to say. For front system, amp for front system, sub and sub amp and the HU, I was planning on spending equally on all 5 parts of the system. That's a rough estimate, and each part in USD as of today, approx. 600 USD each part. However, I think I will try and make the amps a bit cheaper because I don't believe they impact as much as speakers, and put those money on cables, fuse blocks, door deadening etc instead. Maybe go with the CarPower brand, they are cheap and have a good reputation, at least their mother/sister company, which is Monacor. One car with CarPower made national champions earlier this year if I remember correctly.

If I go 3-way, which when after having thought of it for a while, I feel would be the best option, just because of difficulties of spacing the drivers in a suitable way, I will have to look at other sets of drivers, as the ones I've looked at so far, would be too expensive to buy the 3-way versions of (I'm very tempted though). I would then only need one more 2-channel amp for running the tweeters and have a 4-channel amp driving the mid-basses and mids, if I can find drivers that are not so power hungry as the MLKs for example. Or, if I'm lucky, I will find a decent 6-channel amp to drive them all, but they are usually quite low in output, and I plan to be able to max out the mid-bass and mid drivers, because I do'n believe in underpowered drivers.

By the way, I will go all active. I am now primarily looking for what to do with the HU issue. I now have a VW OEM HU, double DIN. I might ditch it and go for Alpine HU + Imprint or an Eclipse unit (the only two remaining options), or keep the stock HU and buy a separate processor which I am also looking at for the moment. Not many too choose from, only found 4, but then I don't have that many to choose from, which is a plus, then I'm not the fastest on the block.

I need an active cross over, parametric eq (minimum 5 band, 1/3 octave) and TA, and the goal is to find something that will allow me to play uncompressed formats from an iPod, have not found one yet, but I'm still looking, because I'm not that much interested in CDs no more. So first I will go for a HU, then the front system and that will pretty much decide how much is left for the front system amps. Sub and sub amp will come last, because I will have to save up while I'm installing the front system, but will plan for the sub and sub amp while I go along so there will be no nasty problems when it's time for the sub and sub amp.

I am quite worried that I will have to upgrade the electric system, but that will have to wait for later.

I guess I've forgotten many things even now, but I hope I've been detailed enough for some interesting views to come in and help me out???

PS. As a side issue and to be more flexible in processor choice, what do you all think of running a PA cross over, powered by one of those converters that convert 12v to 240v? I don't think I would manage to build my own power supply. Then the selection would be so much larger. I have actually found a 12v cross over from the PA side, but I have yet to look it over to see if the specs look promesing or not.

Edit: And I totally forgot to say that I am stupid enough to be a stickler for published speaker data. I refuse to buy from companies that don't post, or do not reply to friendly inquiries for additional data. My NO NO list is longer than the OK list. You can sort out a lot of drivers that do not fit your preferencies, and if the data cannot be provided, I say good by, there are plenty companies remaining anyway.

Edited November 7, 2008 by buggsson