A normal 2-way speaker usually has two different sound drivers, a woofer to take care of the bass and a tweeter to handle the frequencies of the treble. On the other hand, a 3 –way speaker has three designated drivers that aim at providing you with better sound quality and detail all through the range. Due to the fact that three drivers will definitely take up more space than two might, a 3-way speaker is usually a floor-standing tower speaker.
Although, there are always smaller models available a three-way speaker will always need more space than normal woofer/tweeter designs.
Apart from the general quality of speaker components and drivers, a very essential consideration for a 3-way speaker is how effective the crossover circuit is. The crossover circuit sends frequencies to the right driver and the more drivers a speaker is introduced to, the more it is necessary for a component to get the best possible sound from the available drivers.
Every 3-way speaker comes along with a mid-range driver. This is basically an extra speaker smaller than the system’s woofer and receives material for program at the frequency spectrum’s center. This enables the system to have a dedicated speaker that solely focuses on producing saxophones, voice and other bass-light instruments.
Determining the frequency response range between a three way speaker and a two-way speaker system is very important. Speakers that have large range usually deliver the lows and highs of the sound, resulting in a more accurate and fuller sound. Speakers with smaller ranges on the other hand leave out higher and lower frequencies to produce a very less dynamic and flat sound. Keep in mind, that the broader the speaker’s frequency slope, the better sound will be produced overall.
Following this post, you can find our picks of best 3-way speakers – bookshelf and floorstanding.
Best Bookshelf 3-way speakers
Sony SSCS5 3-Way 3-Driver Bookshelf Speaker System
Pro: Portable, cheap, and good sound quality
Con: Not too reliable
Uniquely fashioned for sound, the SSCS5 3-way bookshelf speaker system from Sony is a very special one. These speakers are very versatile and can produce distinguishable and unrivaled audio experience with a soundstage that is so expansive, you will be able to feel the passion and energy of the original performance in your small living space. This wonderful speaker does not need any special setup or listening due to its exceptional Room-Filling Sound feature. You can obtain a live-like experience right from your little living room.
JBL ES30BK 3-Way, 6″ Bookshelf Speaker
Pro: Stylishly good, quite portable, good sound
Con: Mids and vocals are not too good
This superb speaker delivers satisfying and rich sound that covers almost the whole audible spectrum. In terms of design, they provide a bookshelf speaker look that will normally be more costly than their moderate price suggests. They are also the one of the only entry-level bookshelf speakers that come with a different super tweeter.
Yamaha NS-6490
Pro: Cheap and versatile
Con: Low quality components
This speaker’s cabinet has a luxurious finish that is quite similar to the ones used on Yamaha grand pianos, just to indicate how top-notch this speaker system is. The three-way acoustic design incorporates a 20cm pearl white cone woofer that has a pretty high compliance in addition to an inverted dust cover and cloth surround. The midrange is a 10cm cooled pearl white cone with ferro-fluid and an inverted dust cover. For those who will love to use this speaker close to a TV, you will be happy to know that this speaker is magnetically shielded and also comes in gold plated terminals that are compatible with banana plugs.
Best Floorstanding 3-way speakers
Infinity Primus Three-way dual 6-1/2-Inch Floorstanding Speaker
Pro: Good sound at a cheap price
Con: Lacks durability
The Infinity Primus Three-way speaker comes with everything you need to enjoy sound at its best. Of all the superb features this speaker comes along with, its versatility is still the most impressive. This speaker comes with Metal Matrix Diaphragm® driver technology, sensitivity of 93 dB, and many more. A stylish and impressive device with a switch to increase the rate of heat dissipation.
Polk Audio Monitor 70 AM7025-B 3-Ways Floorstanding Speaker
Pro: Versatile with good sound
Con: Overrated
The renovated PA Monitor series is built to deliver high performance for both home and music theatres. They can easily be driven with receivers that don’t pretend and have their voices pre-designed to look lifelike environments that are surround sound. The monitor series also features a very stylish look that is based on the flat screen technology of today with modern titanium faces, wood grain finishes and strong stabilizing feet on the tower models. If you need high performance sound and can afford their exorbitant prices, then you should definitely go for the Polk Audio three way floorstanding speakers.