Speakers come in all shapes and sizes, and if you are shopping for one, it is easy to get confused and baffled with the different options to choose from. A three-way speaker is something that you might encounter during your search. But what does it mean for 3-way speakers in the first place?
To put it simply, 3-way speakers produce sounds coming from three devices mainly tweeter, woofer, and mid-range drivers. Each of these components has its best level of efficiency in a specific frequency range.
Since these drivers have been optimized to function in a particular range, 3-way speakers can deliver clearer and more accurate sounds than they would with just one general-purpose driver for the different audio frequencies.
What are 3-Way Speakers?
Three-way speakers feature an additional kind of driver that covers bass range or low frequency known as a subwoofer. The main benefit of this setup is the fact that it lets you adjust the speakers for various kinds of music and that it will also sound good with all the different styles regardless of the type of song it plays.
Parts of 3 Way Speakers
Based on the name itself, 3-way speakers consist of three parts of components or parts, and these are the woofer, tweeter, and mid-range.
Woofer
The largest driver in a 3-way speaker is the woofer with a diameter that typically measures 5 to 12 inches. The woofer produces sounds within the bass range like drums, thunder, and explosions.
Most woofers feature a cone made of plastic or paper, a wire coil, and a strong permanent magnet. The coil’s audio signal forms a magnetic field that pulls and pushes against the field of the permanent magnet which then makes the cone vibrate and produce sounds.
The woofer also produces the strongest vibrations of sounds out of the three drivers although these also consume relatively higher amounts of power.
Mid-Range
Despite its resemblance to a woofer, a mid-range speaker is smaller with a diameter that seldom exceeds 8 inches. The mid-range, due to its size, generates sound frequencies midway between the highs of the tweeter and the low notes of the woofer.
Most instrumental music, vocals, and speech belong to this range. Mid-range drivers can produce reasonable sounds on their own although these may lack the brightness of treble and the punch of bass. Some speakers also have more mid-range drivers that allow them to handle more power and generate fuller and louder sound.
Tweeter
The smallest driver in a 3-way speaker is the tweeter with a diameter that often measures no more than several inches. Based on its name, the tweeter works in the audio spectrum’s treble end and produces high-pitched sounds like the crash of cymbals and flutes. Without a tweeter, the music coming from a speaker will lose most of its clarity and brightness and take on a stifled and dull sound.
Crossover Circuits
To enhance the sound of the speaker, an electronic circuit set known as crossovers feed every driver with the filtered form of the audio signal coming from the receiver or amplifier.
The first crossover circuit will feed only low-frequency signals to the woofer. A second crossover will send high frequencies to the tweeter while the third provides the midrange driver with middle-range frequencies. These circuits are often tucked away in the speaker cabinet, and most of the time, they don’t require any maintenance or adjustment.
Advantages and Disadvantages of 3 Way Speakers
A 3-way speaker often refers to speakers made up of three distinct drivers: treble, midrange, and bass. The woofer is often the one in charge of the bass part. The mid-high or midrange frequency is under the control of the midrange driver, while the tweeter is mainly responsible for the super-treble and treble parts.
The first advantage of 3-way speakers is the broader frequency response and the excellently low-frequency extension. A good quality 3-way speaker often uses a woofer that is over 8 inches. When the design is reasonable, you can expect better clarity, lower low-frequency extension, smaller distortion, a more vibrant sense of quantity, and better dynamic restoration.
A 3-way speaker also has lower distortion. Properly designed 3-way speakers typically use a large diameter woofer and a small diameter pure midrange driver. Every driver has its own duties, working in the specific frequency area that it is good at. It is possible to restore more details with the lowest distortion. An adequate amount of information is the only required quality for the advanced speakers.
3-way speakers also have better information, more significant dynamics, and can adapt better to more kinds of music. While several small bookshelf speakers claim that they can replay higher levels of a symphony, a 3-way speaker must have a bass driver of a minimum of 10 inches.
It will not just produce low distortion at a high sound pressure once the symphony orchestra starts playing in the concert because it can also offer a more realistic description of organs, doubles, big pipes, bass drums, and others.
Here are other advantages of 3-way speakers:
- The voice clarity is better.
- You will not get any distortion if there is a good crossover.
- Connecting additional subwoofers is not necessary.
- 3-wayay speakers offer better sound quality in general and more options because they have an extra driver, which is a dedicated subwoofer that can only handle low frequencies.
On the other hand, however, designing 3-way speakers is not easy. There is the phase problem for starters. When the phase design is wrong, a 3-way speaker can usually make listeners feel like the clarity is not good enough and the sound is not transparent. It is also possible to mix low frequencies, which is not as good as the 2-way speakers.
Below are other disadvantages of 3-way speakers:
- You can find fewer options in the market since these speakers are not as popular as other types.
- 3-way speakers are pricier than 2-way speakers.
- These speakers are heavier and have bigger enclosures.
- 3-way speakers have their own sets of pros and cons so better weigh them first before you get one.