[Woolz]

I have been wondering about how cabinets and crossovers affect midrange performance.  Will the midrange of the HT2TL be better than the HT2 as a result of the transmission line loading?   I believe that Dennis M. has said that a 3-way speaker will have lower midrange distortion than a 2-way. Will a transmission line enclosure also have lower distortion in the midrange because of the loading?  Is this distortion audible?  Will the use of two drivers for the bass-mid as in the HT2 speakers offset the advantage of the relief of bass duties in the HT-3?      Again, would this distortion difference be audible?  What about the trade-off between the 2-way speaker with its simpler crossover vs. the more complex 3-way speaker?  Does this negate the distortion advantages in the midrange of the 3-way speaker?   What part does the superior power handling ability of the 3-way play in the midrange?  Any ideas?

[Jeff B.]

I have been wondering about how cabinets and crossovers affect midrange performance.  Will the midrange of the HT2TL be better than the HT2 as a result of the transmission line loading?   I believe that Dennis M. has said that a 3-way speaker will have lower midrange distortion than a 2-way. Will a transmission line enclosure also have lower distortion in the midrange because of the loading?  Is this distortion audible?  Will the use of two drivers for the bass-mid as in the HT2 speakers offset the advantage of the relief of bass duties in the HT-3?      Again, would this distortion difference be audible?  What about the trade-off between the 2-way speaker with its simpler crossover vs. the more complex 3-way speaker?  Does this negate the distortion advantages in the midrange of the 3-way speaker?   What part does the superior power handling ability of the 3-way play in the midrange?  Any ideas?

The distortion difference in the midrange associated with a 2-way versus a 3-way is generally Intermodulation distortion. The is caused by using the same driver to reproduce the low bass and the midrange frequencies at the same time. When the driver is experiencing large excursions due to low bass it creates a doppler effect at midrange frequencies and we call this Intermodulation distortion. It is usually not too audible unless you crank it up enough to really get the cones moving, then it may become audible. In a 3-way the idea is to filter the low bass out from the midrange driver so none of this occurs, thus keeping Intermodulation distortion low. As for the TL loading; yes, it should improve the midrange performance. It does this by absorbing and channeling the rear wave from the driver away from the cone rather than allowing it to reflect back into the cone with a delay. This can improve midrange performance quite a bit. I hope this helps.

Jeff Bagby

[Woolz]

Thanks Jeff.  Sounds like the HT2TLs will be a nice refinement to the original HT2s I have owned for the last year and a half and very hard to beat.  I have a pair of the Archos coming however and I will be very interested to see how they compare.  The thing that gives me the most pause is the three-way design and the difficulty to blend the three drivers and complicated crossover into a coherent whole.  But I like the efficiency and the open baffle midrange and I couldn't resist.

[fsimms]

Thanks Jeff.  Sounds like the HT2TLs will be a nice refinement to the original HT2s I have owned for the last year and a half and very hard to beat.  I have a pair of the Archos coming however and I will be very interested to see how they compare.  The thing that gives me the most pause is the three-way design and the difficulty to blend the three drivers and complicated crossover into a coherent whole.  But I like the efficiency and the open baffle midrange and I couldn't resist.

You sure won't be unhappy with the  sound of the Archos!  I couldn't believe how well they made the piano  sound in Dave Brubeck's "Time Out" CD.  You could even hear that the wood in the piano was new! The sound haunts me still! 

Bob

PS I used to be a piano tuner.

[Rocket]

Hi,

I'd be interested in a comparison review between the ht2 and archos.

Regards

Rod

[Woolz]

Rocket,
I will try to supply that.  I will have the Archos hopefully by the weekend.

Woolz