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AUDIO FORUMS >> General Discussion and Support >> Open baffle-1 large driver vs 4 smaller drivers
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Message started by z-adamson on 05/06/22 at 23:20:36

Title: Open baffle-1 large driver vs 4 smaller drivers
Post by z-adamson on 05/06/22 at 23:20:36

In this case, for discussion sake, 1 Lii audio F15 vs 4 Betsy drivers per side, open baffle.

Currently trying to decide between the two.

What do you think?

I have done 4 per side, but not Betsy drivers. Never done 1 driver per side. I have only done 2way OB set-ups, full range driver(s) and helper woofer(s). I want to try a crossoverless system. Cant decide between 4 Betsys or a Lii F15. I can see pros and cons for each.

Title: Re: Open baffle-1 large driver vs 4 smaller drivers
Post by EdwardT on 05/09/22 at 12:09:56

The only downside I can see to four drivers is that you can’t get the centers close enough to avoid comb filtering at the higher frequencies. Now that might only be troublesome off axis and if the listening position is very precise it might not be a big problem, but it will happen.

Title: Re: Open baffle-1 large driver vs 4 smaller drivers
Post by CAJames on 05/09/22 at 14:00:45

What's the impedance of the 4 drivers in parallel? That would be my concern if you have a low powered amp.

Title: Re: Open baffle-1 large driver vs 4 smaller drivers
Post by z-adamson on 05/11/22 at 00:17:06

Impedance...

It would be four 8 ohm drivers wired in series parallel for an 8 ohm load. Easy for the amp.

Title: Re: Open baffle-1 large driver vs 4 smaller drivers
Post by z-adamson on 05/11/22 at 00:20:34

I did consider the possible comb filtering. On the other hand the problem with a single 15 is possible beaming, with such a large cone. Also, smaller cones are stiffer cones, all else equal. Dividing the power between 4 voice coils is not a bad thing either. So.....hmmm

Title: Re: Open baffle-1 large driver vs 4 smaller drivers
Post by Edsonic on 05/11/22 at 00:42:15

You might visit the Betsy Open Baffle subforum on this site; https://www.decware.com/cgi-bin/yabb22/YaBB.pl?board=randy

Randy and others there have experience and/or know others with experience in cobbling together different driver configurations in OB. A lot of commentary on the Lii F15 et al. Have you seen the specs on the Lii Audio site?

The F15 with Mms 13.70 grams. Pretty amazing.

Title: Re: Open baffle-1 large driver vs 4 smaller drivers
Post by Same Old DD on 05/11/22 at 18:23:17

I used, not four Betsy, but three Visaton in OB, touching on the baffle, close as I could get them.
Biggest trouble was the combing, as already mentioned.
At first you had not mentioned your amp or set up.

My attempt worked OK in some ways and with great sound, except if I moved my head a few degrees.
The upper mids and highs would dance around if I even breathed.
I was trying to get more spread from a partial linear array.

Kind of like EdwardT cited, the sweet spot was smaller than my head and hard to find.

I went back to using woofers that petered out about where the Visaton came into its range AND just the one eight inch driver.

What are you trying to accomplish?

Title: Re: Open baffle-1 large driver vs 4 smaller drivers
Post by dank on 05/18/22 at 01:26:18

I have never had any luck putting speakers in series. Parallel has ALWAYS sounded better to me. Even to the point of adding a series resistor so I can put all the drivers in parallel and still meet the amplifiers minimum impedance requirement.

I think that it might have something to do with series inductance's adding and messing up the high frequencies because of that. If so, maybe its ok if you are not dealing with full range, like I usually am.

Dan